How I Met My Boss
by chrysanthemum44
Summary: Kiku is searching for a job in modern day NYC after his transfer from Tokyo fell through. Alfred is in charge of RWB Finance, a new company. When Kiku becomes Alfred's personal secretary, a cautiously cute romance ensues. Yup, Ameripan! (Currently on hold)
1. Chapter 1

"… and so, we here at Global Enterprises LLC regretfully inform you that-"

_…that we have decided not to continue the hiring process with you at this time, but thank you for applying… _ thought Kiku with a sigh, having heard the polite rejection several times already. He sipped his now lukewarm tea and set the cup down.

"Um… actually, I was going to say that we just found out we have to downsize, so though you are very qualified and we'd love to have you working for us, we can't hire you. But, uh, we'll keep your file handy in case we have any positions open in the future." The man on the other line coughed a bit awkwardly, but any embarrassment he felt had nothing on the bright red cheeks Kiku was now sporting. Almost choking, Kiku forced himself to swallow his tea, then cleared his throat, bringing a palm up to his forehead. _Bakabakabakabaka! How could you say such a thing out loud?_

"Ah, I am sorry; I had not meant to say that aloud."_Bakabakabakabaka! _"Thank you so much for your time."

The man on the other line chuckled. "Not a problem. Oh, and hey," he added suddenly. "I think the guys down at RWB Finance are looking for help. Last I heard, anyway… If I were you, I'd ring them up. I'm sure they'll be interested."

Kiku's eyebrows met, and he nodded. "Oh, thank you, I will be sure to call. Thank you again, and I hope you have a good day."

"Mmm-hmm. You too. Bye." The man from Global Enterprises LLC hung up. The Japanese man frowned slightly. American mannerisms still confused him- the people seemed so brash and impolite at times, though Kiku knew it was simply a cultural difference. It seemed that 3 months in New York City had not been enough for him to accustom himself to the American way of life.

Kiku sighed again as he sat at his desk, placing his phone atop a stack of documents. He looked up at the clock on his wall. 2 PM already. He blinked a few times as he slowly shook his head. When he was applying for his work visa, looking for a place to live, and getting his finances arranged, the last thing he had thought he would have to worry about was finding a job; it was after his transfer to the States that his employer had had to close the American branch, and now Kiku was unable to return to Tokyo. He had made essentially permanent arrangements- convinced that his secretarial job with Korematsu Inc. was stable, he had sold his flat, liquidated his assets and withdrawn his savings- and now, he would have a hard time finding a new job with similar pay and benefits if he moved back to Japan. Besides, as his employers had so readily attempted to convince him when he explained his situation, he was an American company's dream- several years of experience despite his 27 years of age and Bachelor's degree in Business Management; fluency in both written and oral Japanese, English and even Mandarin; an excellent ability with computers and, finally, he was single. With no wife or even a girlfriend to tie him down, Kiku's time was flexible, his living arrangements fluid, and his insurance that much cheaper.

Yet here he was, unemployed for an entire month, living off what money he had left after his move, unable to find a job- not that it was for lack of trying. He had applied to several corporations, had gone to 6 interviews this past week alone, but still, Kiku had not had any luck. It was most likely, he believed, that companies preferred to hire Americans, their own people, over foreigners. It made sense, he supposed, but that didn't make it any easier for him. If he couldn't find anything in a few more weeks, he may be forced to look for a less… prestigious job. Sighing once more, he pushed his inky black hair away from his face, then turned to his computer and did a quick Google search on the company the man from Global had told him about.

_RWB_ _Finance... _It was a very new company, only about a year old, but it seemed to be doing well, according to its stock rating. However, it was still a small company with only one location, a 20 minute subway ride away. The strange part, however, was that they had been looking for a new secretary for several months now, and had apparently not found anyone suitable. Kiku raised his eyebrow at that. _Is the job that demanding? Is the pay too low, the hours too hectic?_ He frowned again, but decided that he would not mind whatever demands there were as long as he could have a job. He scanned the company's site, which told him interested applicants should call during regular business hours. Kiku found the phone number, dialed it on his phone, and without a moment's hesitation, pressed the call button.

They picked up after the third ring.

"Hello, you've reached RWB Finance. This is Matthew Williams, how may I help you?" The voice was a bit quiet, but confident, as one would expect of a seasoned employee.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Williams. My name is Kiku Honda," replied Kiku, remembering to give his family name second. "I heard that your company is looking to hire a secretary, and I am interested in applying."

"Okay. Do you want to come in for your interview tomorrow?" asked Matthew.

"Ano…" Kiku was caught off guard by the sudden question. No lengthy application to fill out first? "I would most appreciate that… Should I bring my resume?"

"If you want to, but you won't need it," the man on the other line replied with what sounded like a sigh. Again, Kiku was confused. _What kind of interview will this be? Is it some sort of test?_ "All I need is your name, address and phone number." Kiku gave him the information and he could hear the clacking of keys through the phone. "Got it, thanks. So… is tomorrow at 9 a good time?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay, I'll see you then. RWB is on the top floor of the building. Just head on up when you get there."

"Yes, thank you. Have a nice day, and I look forward to making your acquaintance," Kiku said, surprised that the whole process was so quick. Usually it took a week or more before he was offered an interview.

"You have a nice day too. And… good luck." The other person replied before hanging up, leaving Kiku thoroughly confused.

* * *

><p>Kiku boarded the subway at 8:10 the next morning, planning to arrive at approximately 8:30. He took with him a copy of <em>Rurouni Kenshin<em>, hiding it in a hollow book he had created especially for all of his manga. The Iliad made a perfect cover for his otaku habits, as did his dark grey suit, slim gold tie and polished black shoes. Kiku sat on a mostly empty subway bench and began to read. After a few minutes, he felt as if someone was watching him and he glanced up, seeing another man in business suit sitting across from him, looking at him. The man was dressed professionally, but there was something in his manner that made his youthfulness obvious. It may have been his hair, which could best be described as a somewhat messy dirty blonde, or perhaps it was his blue eyes, which shone as brightly and clearly as a child's, despite the slightly dirty glasses that sat on his nose. Maybe it was his laid back posture, or the way his clothes sat on him, or perhaps it was the huge grin the man was giving Kiku.

Kiku turned back to his book quickly, deciding that yes, it was probably the bright smile that made him seem so. After another few minutes of being watched, Kiku was growing uncomfortable. Luckily, the train stopped, announcing the location, and the smiling man got up. Kiku's relief, however, was short-lived; the man simply sat next to him.

"I knew it," gloated the youth, leaning over. Kiku felt his cheeks growing pink as he shut his book. Had he been discovered? _No, not likely. Perhaps he needs something?_

"May I help you?" He asked politely, but he was ignored.

"You were turning the pages the wrong way." Again, the man beamed at him. "Reading manga, huh? Which one?" He reached out a hand for the book, taking it as Kiku simply stared in astonishment. "Ooh, RuroKen… that's a good one. The anime wasn't so good though. Oh, and nice cover. You actually seem like the type that'd read this kind of stuff. You almost had me convinced."

Kiku snapped back to his senses and held out his hand, his cheeks flushed in embarassement. "May I have my book back?"

"Heh, sure." The youth handed him back the book and Kiku took it, hugging it protectively to his chest. The man leaned back in his seat, making himself comfortable. "My name's Alfred, by the way. What's your's?" Kiku shifted uneasily, but decided that there was no danger in giving a stranger his name. They would likely never meet again- New York City had a large population, after all.

"Hon- I mean, Kiku Honda. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kiku nodded his head towards Alfred slightly.

"Likewise~ So… what flavor Asian are you?" Alfred looked excited, bouncing visibly in his seat. "I'm guessing Japanese."

"Eto… that is correct." Kiku looked at him warily. Though the people here were talkative, in his experience most Americans were not quite so cheerful and enthusiastic to make conversation with complete strangers.

"That's so cool! So you speak it, right? Say something!" Again, Alfred's excitement was visible. Kiku raised an eyebrow at the command but complied.

"_Domo Arigatou, Roboto-san._" Alfred blinked, stared for a few seconds, then burst out laughing as Kiku tried to hide a smile.

"Too funny, dude!" said Alfred, his left hand hitting Kiku on the shoulder, causing him to lurch forward. "Whoops, sorry! Er, how do you say that in Japanese?" Kiku frowned a little.

"That depends on how formally you wish to say it and in what circumstance, though '_gomenasai_' usually suffices."

"Uh, gomenasai, then?" The youth looked over, his bright blue eyes clearly seeking approval. Kiku smiled despite himself.

"_Watashi wa anata wo yurushi masu,_" Kiku replied, for some reason taking pleasure in seeing Alfred's eyes light up in wonder. "'I forgive you.'"

"Whoa! That's awesome!" Alfred was beaming again. He opened his mouth to say something when the subway stopped again. "Aw, this is my stop," he said as both he and Kiku began to stand up. "Wait, you're getting off here too?" Kiku too was surprised.

"Ah, yes…"

"Where're you going? Is it anywhere near the Skyline building?"

Kiku blinked. "Actually, that is my destination…"

Alfred beamed again. "Ya don't say? Well, we'll split a cab! Come on!"

Kiku swallowed, a bit nervous for some reason, but nodded, not wanting to seem rude. He followed Alfred off the subway train and out of the station, watching with great interest as Alfred expertly hailed down a cab in about 4 seconds. Alfred grinned as he opened the passenger door. "After you~" Again, Kiku could feel his cheeks flush slightly, though he was not sure why this time. He slid into the seat, expecting Alfred to sit next to the driver, but Alfred instead chose to sit next to Kiku. "The Skyline building, please!" The cab driver nodded and they went off. Alfred turned to Kiku again. "So, whatcha doing at the Skyline?"

"Actually… I have a job interview today," Kiku answered a bit hesitantly. Why in the world was he telling this man anything? In fact, why had he even gotten on the cab with him in the first place? Why hadn't he just ignored him on the subway?

"Ooh~ With who?" Alfred peered down at him as he removed his glasses and cleaned them with a blue cloth.

"… RWB Finance…"

"Ah… you an accountant?" Alfred put his glasses back on.

"Ano, no, I am a… secretary, actually." Alfred raised his eyebrows at that.

"No way… you seem way too smart to just be a secretary. You seem like… an IT guy or something, maybe."

Kiku blushed lightly at the compliment. "Well, in my last position, I doubled as such." Alfred grinned.

"I knew it. You a Linux man?" Alfred asked with a smirk.

"Though I have used Linux before, I prefer PCs," Kiku replied. "And I use Macs on very rare occasion."

Alfred gasped. "Not a PC fanboy!" Kiku raised his eyebrows.

"I take it you are a Macintosh enthusiast?" he asked, amused. "Rude this may seem, but you are sadly mistaken in your choice of OS."

Alfred made a shocked expression. "Macs are way better! The Windows systems crash all the time and the-" The cab came to a halt and the cab driver turned around.

"$15 on the nose." Alfred handed him a $20, waving away Kiku's reach for his wallet.

"Keep the change." He slid out of the taxi, Kiku following behind, walking quickly to match Alfred's pace. "Anyway, like I was saying, Windows crashes like drunk driver on a Friday and its typography is crap!" Kiku noticed that Alfred rather liked using his hands for emphasis.

"Windows runs at a higher speeds, has more available software and is more versatile." The two walked into the elevator in the spacious lobby, and Alfred pressed a button, then stood in front of the button pad, leaning against the wall as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise. He stuck out his tongue, an amusing sight, as he appeared quite the businessman otherwise, albeit a bit young.

"But with Macs, what you see is what you get. No bogus color shifts. Plus, they have style."

"Well, they are quite elegant, but-" the doors slid open and Kiku looked up. They were on the top floor, exactly where he was supposed to go. "Did you skip your floor?"

"Nope~" Alfred strolled out of the elevator as Kiku stared after him, then followed. "Hey Mattie," he called out to the man seated at the desk. The man bore a striking resemblance to Alfred, but without the self-assurance that followed Alfred like a cloud.

"Good morning Alfred. So, another failure, th-" Matthew stopped as he noticed Kiku hanging back. "Or not!" he added in surprise. Kiku hesitated near the elevator. Alfred seemed to notice that Kiku was no longer at his side and turned, grinning, and beckoned him with a toss of his head. Kiku approached slowly, still shying a bit.

"Nope, he's a keeper." Kiku simply stared. What were they talking about? "Come on, Kiku, don't be shy. This is Mattie." Kiku remembered himself.

"G-good morning. We meant on the phone yesterday, yes?"

"Y-yeah, I didn't think I'd actually get to meet you though! Wow! Um, welcome to RWB Finance! I look forward to working with you." Matthew stood up and held out his hand to Kiku. Kiku took his hand and shook it, still confused.

"But I have yet to go to my interview. How can you be sure tha-"

"You already passed, dude." Alfred grinned again, clasping a hand on Kiku's shoulder. "That whole thing this morning? That was your interview, and you passed with flying colors."

"I… what?" Alfred laughed and Matthew smiled a little.

"You see, Alfred here doesn't like interviewing the old fashioned way, where the applicants talk about their skills for an hour- he likes meeting them and chatting with them to see if he'll get along with them," Matthew explained to Kiku who kept staring. "He does research beforehand and then sets up some kind of meeting, making sure to defer any candidate that doesn't meet his standards. And Alfred's opinion is the most important: he is the boss, after all."

Kiku turned, shocked. "Y-you are the…"

Alfred winked and snapped, pointing his index fingers at Kiku. "Alfred F. Jones, boss-man extraordinaire, at your service."

"I-I-I… passed? I… what?"

"Yup~ You work for me now, Mr. Kiku Honda. You're my personal secretary." He grinned and held his hand out for a hand shake. "Welcome to RWB."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hoped you enjoyed chapter 1... I think it might have seemed boring to some of you in some parts, especially the PC's/Windows vs Macs thing. I wonder how many of you know what Linux is. XD Anyhoo, this may develop a _little_ slowly, but hey, in real life, relationships aren't instantaneous. The rating will go up eventually, but at the moment, Alfred and Kiku just work together.

Remember to review~ Ameripan needs more love! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Kiku stared at Alfred's outstretched hand, his thoughts jumbling, tangling over each other as he tried to make sense of what Alfred had just told him. _He… hired me? I am his.. personal… secretary? But… _Kiku's eyes shifted upwards, meeting Alfred's, which were still smiling, but with a bit of confusion. Kiku paid little attention to Alfred's now furrowed brow, focusing instead on his possible options.

His mind had once again decided that the world was an RPG. A red and white dialogue box appeared below Alfred, a statement displayed in white text: _You have been asked to join Alfred F. Jones' party. _A cursor blinked, a pair of brackets surrounding the options.

[_Accept_]_ Decline. _

Kiku frowned slightly, thinking. _If this is serious, it is much too sudden, too unprofessional… I cannot possibly accept. _

_Accept _[_Decline_]

Kiku looked back down at Alfred's hand, still stretched out towards him, then back up at his brilliant blue eyes. _But…_ Alfred's face fell a bit, his hand slackening.

"Er… Kiku?" Kiku blinked suddenly. _But…_ He made his selection, the cursor flashing around his choice, and locked it in. _Perhaps it is time I take a chance._

[_**Accept**_]

"It would be my honor to serve as your secretary," said Kiku with a bow. "I hope that my work will be found satisfactory."

_You have now joined RWB Finance._

Alfred's eyes lit up again as his grin returned. "Awesome!" His grin widened. "Am I supposed to bow too?" Alfred bent at his waist, doing his best to imitate Kiku's bow. Kiku's eyebrows met as he smiled, amused. The two straightened back up, Matthew smiling behind his desk. "So we just have to take care of the paperwork, but you're all set! Uh… Oh, Mattie here will be training you for the rest of the week." Matthew smiled a bit shyly at Kiku, who returned it with a slight nod. "But first…" Alfred looked at his watch. "I think everybody should be here by now… " He cleared his throat. "Ahem… HEY EVERYONE! COME MEET MY NEW SECRETARY!" Kiku blanched a bit as he heard chairs roll and people stand. _Oh dear..._thought Kiku when a mass of people walked towards them, some tiredly, some with a bit of a spring in their step. Alfred climbed up onto Matthew's desk, much to Matthew's displeasure, then held his hand out for Kiku to climb on as well. Kiku looked at Matthew apologetically as he hesitantly took Alfred's hand and was pulled up. He had to admit, the view was much better. He could see everyone approaching from behind their cubicles.

"Ve~ A new secretary?" asked a young man with auburn hair excitedly, sounding for all the world like a child. Another man, his brother, clearly, stood behind him, his mouth contorting into a scowl as a green-eyed man came out from behind another set of cubicles, running his fingers through his brown hair.

"Lovi! _Te extrañé, querido!_" He sang, smiling brightly, removing his hand to wave at one of the brothers.

"It's been 20 minutes!" replied the scowling man, Lovi, apparently.

"Every minute without you is like an eternity," said the Spanish speaking man solemnly, holding Lovi's hand to his cheek. "Every second is like a needle being pushed through my heart, like hot iron is flowing through my veins, like- ow! Ow! What are y- Ow! L-Lovi, why are you hitti-"

Kiku turned away to survey the others, leaving the two to their small spat. The other brother turned as Kiku did, smiling as he saw someone step out of the small office on the western side of the building, a tall blonde man with pale blue eyes. "Ludwig, good morning!" greeted the smaller man with a cheerful wave. The taller man, Ludwig, smiled slightly back at him, then turned to face Alfred, who was taking a head count. Kiku turned back to Lovi and his friend, who was smiling even as he nursed the top of his head. Behind the two came another pair, a man with very pale hair and red eyes and someone with long blonde hair, a man, if the stubbly beard was any indication. The two were laughing at something.

"…and Roderich just stared at the piano with his face all like-"

"-you mean the-" The long-haired man made a shocked face, then laughed.

"Kesesese! Exactly!" cackled the white-haired man. "He made me pay him back though… " He frowned slightly. "Do you know how expensive it is to repair a piano? Fuckin' ridiculous!" The long-haired blonde shook his head sympathetically, then clasped the shoulder of the man with green eyes and brown hair.

"Off to a rough start already, Antonio?" He smiled and winked as Lovi glared at him.

"Not at all, Francis!" The green-eyed man, Antonio, shook his head, beaming. "_Hola_, Gilbert! So how have you…"

Kiku turned, mentally thanking Antonio for being so helpful with names, and took in the rest of the office staff, about 40 others, as far as he could tell. This business was quite a bit smaller than his previous workplace- he had worked with about 100 other people. _But_, he thought as his cheeks turned a light pink, _I have never had this many people staring at me._ It was a bit disconcerting, in his opinion, to be the center of attention. Alfred reveled in it though, grinning as everyone stopped talking and watched.

"Okay, we're all here! Guys, this-" he put his hands on Kiku's shoulders, Kiku flinching a bit as he did so. "-is Kiku. Say hi, Kiku." The Japanese man bowed slightly, his face a bit flushed.

"I am pleased to meet you all."

Alfred grinned more widely. "I just hired him today. He'll be working as _my_ secretary, so no asking him to make copies for you or get you coffee or rub your feet. That's what Mattie's for." He winked at Matthew, who had made a small noise. "I'm kidding, you can make your own coffee. Anyway, he's mine, but he'll be taking care of some of the things Mattie does too, so hopefully things get done a bit faster, since Mattie won't be dealing with everything by himself." He turned to Kiku. "Kiku, this is everyone. I'm sure you'll get to know them soon. Don't let them boss you around, especially _those_ three." Alfred pointed out Francis, Antonio and Gilbert. Francis winked at him, Antonio smiled brightly and Gilbert waved with a casual flick of his wrist. "Anyhow, everyone, that's it. You can introduce yourselves personally later, but for now, let's get to work!" Alfred clapped his hands together to end the brief meeting. "Oh, but Ludwig, could you stay behind a sec?" Ludwig nodded, approaching the desk as everyone else returned to their cubicles. Alfred jumped off the desk, scattering papers as he did so, then walked over to where Ludwig was, chatting with him. Kiku and Matthew sighed at the same time and Kiku stepped off, careful not to disturb the remaining papers. He began to pick up the papers that fell off, handing them to Matthew.

"I apologize for standing on your desk," he said. "That was rude of me." Matthew simply smiled.

"It's not your fault, don't worry about it. It happens all the time, actually. Whenever Alf-"

"Kiku, come meet Ludwig! He's our other resident CPA. I'm the first one!" Alfred called out. Kiku looked over, then turned back to Matthew.

"I am sorry, I must excuse myself," said Kiku apologetically.

"It's fine!" Matthew smiled reassuringly. "You'll be sick of me by the end of the week anyway…"

Kiku looked concerned. "I doubt that is true. You seem to be very good com-"

"Kiku~!" Alfred looked over. "Ludwig has to get back to work."

"I will be right back." Matthew smiled lightly.

"Mmhmm."

Kiku walked over to where Alfred and Ludwig were. "So, Ludwig, this is Kiku; Kiku, this is Ludwig." The two smiled politely at each other, shaking hands briefly. Alfred spoke to Kiku. "He's pretty much my right hand man when it comes to accounting. Very dependable, great worker, all that jazz. I think the two of you'll get along great! I just wanted to introduce the two of you to each other though, since you're both working closely with me." Kiku nodded. "That's pretty much it… You can go Ludwig." Ludwig nodded as well then turned and left. Kiku looked to Alfred. "Oh yeah, uh, we need to get you your papers so you can officially work for us! I'll get them; you can go start training with Matthew if you want."

"Yes, of course."

"Okay then~ I'll see you in a while!" Kiku nodded slightly towards him and then Alfred went off to his office. Kiku returned to Matthew, who had rearranged his desk and was typing on the computer. Matthew turned in his chair as Kiku approached.

"Ready for your training? It'll be pretty intense, since I pretty much have to teach you how the office runs by Friday." Kiku raised an eyebrow as he removed a small notepad from his pocket.

"Do not worry. I learn very quickly," he said with a smile, which Matthew returned.

"Then let's start! One of the first things you'll be taking care of is invoices, which…."

Kiku took notes as Matthew spoke and gestured, determined to remember it all. Though his outer expression was one of concentration, inside, he was beaming. _I have a job…_ a hint of his smile escaped as Matthew explained how to fill out certain forms. _I have a job!_

**A/N:**

HOLY FRICK 9 REVIEWS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS? You guys are awesome~ I'm glad people like Ameripan, and I hope I don't disappoint you with this story. DX

I hope this wasn't boring guys! You got introduced to more of the cast, yay~ I plan to involve them quite a bit, actually, especially BTT, I think. XD A bit of Spamano in there for those of you who like them- I think that pairing's cute too~ Uh… lol, I just realized Ludwig hasn't said a word yet. (Strong and silent much?) And there'll be more some fun stuff in the next chapter, which will be a time skip of sorts because I really don't feel like going into detail on how to fill out invoices, the specifics of the company copy machines, blah, blah, boring office stuff. XD

Thanks for reading and remember to review, my fellow Ameripan lovers~ :D


	3. Chapter 3

As Kiku boarded the elevator in the Skyline building's lobby on Monday, he felt the softest flutter in his stomach. He glanced down at his new employee ID badge and his grip around the handle of his slim briefcase tightened as the elevator pinged on the way up the floors, occasionally stopping to pick someone up. Kiku paid little attention to the other people on board, though he did nod in greeting, exchanging a quick "good morning" if the other passengers made eye contact. But he ignored them for the most part.

He felt nervous.

Today was to be his first day on his own in the office. Matthew had taught him the basics, the "ins and outs" of RWB, the week before and now Kiku would be put to the real test. He shouldn't feel nervous, he knew that: his previous job had required him to run an office with more than double the amount of employees of this one. But he couldn't help swallowing as the elevator stopped on the last floor. Kiku looked down at his watch, being careful to hold his travel thermos steady as he pulled back his sleeve. _7:15AM. _Office hours officially began at 8:00. From what Kiku noticed in his week of training, Matthew usually arrived around 7:20, the majority of the office at about 7:45, and Alfred at about 7:30. The office would be most likely empty, as it was still early, though there was the rather good chance that Matthew had already come in. Kiku looked up and the elevator door opened smoothly, giving Kiku a clear view of Matthew's desk.

It seemed that Matthew had indeed already arrived, given that his computer was starting up, but Matthew himself was nowhere to be seen. _Perhaps he is in the break room, getting coffee…_ thought Kiku as he made his way through the maze of cubicles that made up the majority of the floor. He tried to not look inside the cubicles as he went, not wanting to come off as a snoop. Finally, after navigating through the majority of the floor, he came to an office: Alfred's and, now, his. His own desk was situated directly inside the door, in a small, windowed room of sorts, with another door leading to Alfred's larger office. Kiku had yet to see Alfred's office and had only seen the inside of his own, soon-to-be, office once, when he had gone to return the papers he had had to fill out, and even then, it had been very brief. His desk was still bare-he had only visited it for a few moments as well, when plugging in his computer. Today he would have to set up computer, link to the network, make sure his internet connection was functioning… it would be a rather simple, yet tedious day, he was sure. _But it will be a great deal more entertaining than filling out job applications and searching for work,_ thought Kiku with a slight nod to himself. Setting down his briefcase, he put his free hand on the door handle, and gave it a push. The door stayed shut. Kiku's eyebrows furrowed then fell to their usual position again as he realized that, as Alfred had yet to arrive, the door was still locked. And, as he did not have a key to the small office, he may well have to wait until Alfred came in. With a small frown, he looked at the door a bit longer, then decided that he should keep Matthew company, if he was not already busy with work. Taking his briefcase with him, he walked back through the maze of cubicles and went into the break room, where he could hear someone moving.

"Matthew-san?" Kiku stepped into the brightly lit room. The figure hunched over the counter and coffee machine turned.

"Oh, good morning Kiku! Er, what's 'san'?" Matthew tucked a stray hair behind his ear as he greeted Kiku, a fresh cup of coffee in his left hand.

"Good morning. Ah, 'san' is the Japanese equivalent of… 'Mister', I believe. Would you prefer I use that?" Kiku wondered if perhaps he was being too familiar with Matthew. _Mister Williams, perhaps?_

"Uh, no, it's fine… there's no need to call me 'Mister' or 'san' or anything, Kiku. We're co-workers!" Matthew smiled up at him.

"I would feel it an enormous breach of common courtesy to refer to you by your given name, as in my country, honorifics are used even amongst friends…" said Kiku, a bit quietly. He did not want to seem strange, but this was one thing that he felt it difficult to not do when he was told otherwise. To call someone he had only known for a week by only his first name seemed a lack of respect, though he knew that in the western world, this was quite common.

"Well, I don't mind it… 'Matthew-san', eh? It sounds kind of cool." Matthew smiled at Kiku, reassuring him. "Er, coffee?" He gestured towards the coffee machine with his free hand.

"Thank you for the offer, but I will decline," said Kiku. "I have this." He lifted his arm and gently shook his thermos- his usual green tea.

"Oh, okay. The coffee here's not very good anyway…" Matthew added, cupping his coffee with both hands. "Oh, don't forget to clock in." He pointed at a computer mounted on the wall. "You remember how to, right?"

"Ah, of course. Thank you for the reminder." Kiku went over and unclipped his ID badge from his shirt pocket. He scanned the card and the device beeped, displaying his name and a confirmation message. Matthew began walking towards the room's entrance, near where Kiku was standing. "You're kind of early, aren't you?" he asked as Kiku followed him back to his desk. "You know you don't have to be here until 8…"

"I usually attempt to arrive before working hours officially begin… but my habit seems to have backfired on me today, as Jones-sama has yet to arrive and his office is locked…"

Matthew looked over his glasses curiously as he set his cup of coffee down on the desk."'Jones-sama'? That'd be Alfred, right?"

"Yes," Kiku nodded.

Matthew smiled lightly. "I think he'll get a kick out of you calling him that. Oh, and you said the office was locked? I can open it for you. We'll probably be getting you a key soon enough." Matthew pulled out a small key from his pocket and opened a drawer in his desk. He removed a small collection of keys from the drawer and hooked his finger through the large ring they were all attached to. "Come on, I'll let you in." Matthew led the way to the office this time. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. "There you go."

"Thank you." Kiku stepped in, flicking on the light switch. There were very few objects in the room- the desk, computer and computer chair took up the area directly in front of the door; a few other chairs, a table and a pile of magazines sat in the right hand corner of the room, facing the door to Alfred's office. Kiku placed his briefcase and thermos on the desk.

"I'm guessing you're going to start working, so I'll leave you alone now?" Matthew asked.

"Your presence would not be a bother, but I believe my company would be boring, as, yes, I will begin working now." Matthew smiled again.

"Then I'll go. See you at lunch?" Matthew asked, turning his head.

"It would be a pleasure to join you."

"Great! See you then." With that, the door closed and Kiku went behind his desk and sat down. He turned the computer on, removing objects from his briefcase as he waited for the computer to finish starting up. A sticky-note dispenser, a collection of pens, a mouse pad, tape, a container of paperclips and thumb tacks, and a memo holder, all simple and plain, black. He also removed a pair of notebooks, a desk calendar, a legal pad and a large stack of color coded Post-Its. Kiku logged onto the computer then turned to his desk again, setting everything down in a precise and neat fashion. Finished arranging his desk, he looked at his computer screen again, pulled out his keyboard and began setting up the computer.

Exactly at 7:35AM, the door to the office opened and Alfred peeked in, his briefcase hitting the door as he did. "Oh, hi Kiku! Ready for your first real day on the job?" Kiku stood up as Alfred walked in.

"Good morning, Jones-sama. And certainly."

Alfred grinned as he opened his own office door, looking over at Kiku as he turned the key in the keyhole. "'Jones-sama'?"

"'Sama' is an honorific used for people of higher standing than one's own. As your employee, it is appropriate that I refer to you as such." _It seems Matthew-san was not mistaken,_ thought Kiku.

Alfred chuckled. "Fancy~ But you can just call me 'Alfred'. 'Jones' is what Coach called me when I did baseball and I don't really wanna think about running laps with a red-faced old fat guy yelling at me, especially while I'm at work." He stepped into his office, moving about.

"Alfred-sama?" said Kiku, trying it out. The name felt warm on his tongue, like a thin broth.

"You can drop the 'sama' too," added Alfred from inside his office.

"Alfred...san. Alfred-san. " Kiku felt a bit awkward. _Too familiar, too familiar,_ he rebuked himself.

Alfred came back out from his office, still grinning. "Is that the best I'm gonna get out of you?" Ha, don't worry about it. 'Alfred-san' it is then… for now." Alfred winked as he said this and Kiku felt his cheeks redden slightly for some unknown reason. "So, are you all set up?" asked Alfred suddenly, all business.

"Ah, yes, I believe the computer only needs to finish installing a few things and then it will restart. Then I will be ready to work."

"Awesome, 'cuz I have a meeting to go to and I need you to tag along," Alfred told Kiku with an expression similar to that that a child wears when it tells its parent about some mischief they pulled- guilty, but with a bit of playfulness. "I'm meeting a potential client and I need a note taker, since my handwriting sucks."

"What time is the meeting?" Kiku asked, his mindset readjusting itself to how it used to be at his old job. Such short notice was simply a part of the job though, Kiku promised mentally, in the future, he would make a schedule of these events and keep Alfred organized. It would only take a bit of fudging the existing calendar to suit his personal organizational style.

"Um… let me check." Alfred ducked back into his office and Kiku could hear papers rustling around and drawers opening and shutting. "I'm looking, I'm looking..." Kiku peeked in the door, finding a shocking sight. Alfred's desk was covered in piles of papers and documents, some perched precariously near the edge of the desk and threatening to fall off. Alfred's computer was covered in tufts of sticky notes, all yellow, some tattered, some barely sticking on, of varying sizes. Alfred himself was searching through one of his drawers. "It was purple… the note was purple…" he muttered to himself as he looked.

"_Arema_," said Kiku quietly. Forget existing calendar- he'd be making a new one from scratch. And he would have to get Alfred organized. How he had managed to keep his business going until now was a mystery.

"Uh, I know I put it somewhere…" Alfred rubbed his neck, a hand on his hip, his eyes combing the desk.

_Poor Matthew-san… It is now wonder he seemed so happy to have help._ Kiku walked over to the desk and looked as well. _There!_ Underneath a pen holder was a small sliver of purple. He lifted the pen holder and pulled out the note. "Would this be it?" He held it up to Alfred.

"Ohmigosh, Kiku, you're awesome!" Alfred took the note with both hands, squinting. "Er, 9:00, it looks like." He looked down at Kiku. "That's good, we have some time. It's only…" He looked at his watch. "7:45AM. The meeting's about 20 minutes driving from here, so if we leave at 8:30, we'll be good."

"I believe it would be best to leave slightly earlier, perhaps 8:15, so as to account for possible delays as well." Kiku said this confidently- he was beginning to get into his comfort zone. "In the meantime, would you like for me to begin… straightening up your desk?"

Alfred turned a bit pink. "Uh, if you think you can… Sorry, I'm not the best at keeping my stuff neat…" Alfred's light blush turned into his signature grin again. "But that's why I have you, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Great! I have to go see Ludwig for a sec, I'll be back." Alfred headed for the door and turned around just before he left. "Just do whatever you need to do~" He left and the door shut behind him.

Kiku looked down at the desk and sighed. This might take a while.

* * *

><p>"Arema" is pretty much the Japanese equivalent of "Oh my."<p>

**A/N:** So… I have no freaking idea what I'm talking about when I tell you about their jobs… I probably should have thought this out before I started writing the story, but, uh… I'm not an accountant or a secretary (save for a few clubs at school), so the majority of this is what I gathered from Internet research over what exactly these people do. This story won't be as accurate as I'd like, so I apologize now… I also apologize for the late update. I got distracted this weekend and I usually do the main writing on Friday and Saturday. This chapter may have seemed a little slow, and we didn't get much of Alfred, but trust me, he'll be very prevalent soon~ :D Er, yeah, I'm still setting up the story and characters, blah, blah, blah, so… the next chapter will be more fun? OH! Before I forget- If you have any suggestions, any at all, go ahead and shoot them at me. They help me get over minor Writer's Block pretty well, since I have to work to incorporate them into what I want. I'm not promising I'll use them all, but I might~ (I've done it before! :D)

Thanks for reading!

Remember to review~ (Dude, you guys are awesome at doing that, I swear! :DDDD I feel so loved 3 And remember, don't be afraid to be constructive. I strive to improve! And sorry I didn't reply to reviews this time around... school work... DX)


	4. Chapter 4

_How would one best tackle this mess? _Kiku stared at the desk pensively. He only had half an hour at most and based on his experience, Alfred's desk would take a good two days to completely organize. _The most urgent matter is the calendar,_ he thought. _One cannot operate a business without proper scheduling. _And so, Kiku went behind the desk and decided to attack the veritable forest of sticky-notes.

_Ssssp. Ssssp_. The sound of the sticky notes was comforting to Kiku— it was the same in any country, a subtle melody that transcended the borders of language: simply business as usual.

Kiku deciphered Alfred's handwriting to the best of his ability as he separated the notes into separate piles. One stack was for reminders without a date; another was for phone numbers that had been scribbled down; the last assortment was for events with a set date, which Kiku ordered as best he could (he was having some trouble differentiating Alfred's 4's from his 9's.) He took the sticky notes over to his own desk and sat in his chair, pulled out his PDA, and began inputting dates, thinking to put them onto an Outlook file later so that Alfred could also see the calendar.

As Kiku finished inputting the dates, Alfred walked back into the office. For the briefest moment, Kiku thought that Alfred appeared bit… stressed? , but he quickly forgot as Alfred's signature grin brightened his face up again. "I'm all done. You ready to go yet?"

"Ah, yes." Kiku stood up, making sure to leave the stacks of notes in the proper order. He pushed his chair in, then picked up his tea and a notepad. Alfred perked up at the sight of the thermos.

"Coffee!" Kiku's eyebrows met and he looked at Alfred.

"Eto, no, this is te-"

"No wonder I have a headache! Duh!" Alfred exclaimed, apparently not having heard Kiku. "I forgot to grab my coffee!" Alfred opened the door then turned back to Kiku, gesturing with his hand for him to follow. "Come on, this won't take long." Kiku complied, waiting patiently as Alfred locked the door behind him.

_Alfred-sama with caffeine?_ Even having known Alfred for only a few days, Kiku was certain that the two would be a dangerous mixture.

"So, how are you liking the States so far?" Alfred asked as he led the way back to the break room. Kiku had to walk quickly to keep up with Alfred's long strides.

"Well, I have only experienced New York City as of yet, but I have enjoyed my time here, for the most part."

Alfred walked into the break room and headed directly for the coffee machine. "That's good. Haven't been mugged yet, have you?" he asked with a light hint of teasing.

"Mugged?" Kiku observed as Alfred made himself coffee: Alfred added two spoonfuls of creamer, stirred them in, then stuck the wet spoon into the sugar container, coating it lightly in sugar.

"You know, held at gunpoint and forced to give up your wallet, phone, whatever. Robbed." Alfred mixed the sugar into the cup, then tossed the plastic spoon into the trash bin.

"…No, fortunately, I have not yet experienced this … 'mugging'," replied Kiku apprehensively. Was this a common occurrence?

Alfred sipped his coffee, sighing in relief. "Mmm… Oh, don't worry about that, by the way. You probably won't get mugged. No robber in his right mind would attack an Asian dude." Alfred chuckled quietly as he took another sip.

Kiku scrunched his eyebrows together, not finding the joke. "And why is that?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow and replied , apparently in all seriousness, "'Cuz we think you all know kung fu." Kiku simply stared. "You know, the whole-" Alfred set down his cup of coffee and assumed the crane stance, glaring at the wall across from him. "'You have dishonored my family! Hi-yah!'" Alfred kicked at the air in front of him.

Kiku briefly wondered if he should feel offended but decided to take Alfred's comment lightly. After all, his pose and expression were absolutely ridiculous. Kiku raised the hand holding his notepad to his mouth, trying not to laugh. "You… you cannot be serious."

Alfred grinned as he returned to his usual standing stance. "Well, not really. But I got you to smile, didn't I?" He winked as Kiku froze. "You don't have to be so serious all the time, you know~. I think I've seen you _really_ smile maybe twice, if you count just now."

"I…" Kiku's cheeks turned a bit pink in embarrassment.

Alfred kept grinning down at Kiku as he finished his coffee and threw the paper cup away. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Come on, we should get going," he said with a toss of his head. Kiku followed quietly, thinking.

_I should… smile more often?_ _But… should I not be serious? I mean, this is my workplace, and I do not know everyone yet… I should be professional, not familiar and at home… but if my boss tells me to relax…_ Kiku frowned, unable to decide.

The two went into the elevator. "So…" Alfred said as the elevator car went down the shaft.

"So…?"

"_Do_ you know any martial arts or anything?" Alfred asked, his expression curious.

Kiku raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "Actually, I have studied Aikido…."

Alfred's eyes widened a little. "Oh, cool! What is that?"

"Aikido is a style of martial arts that emphasizes self-defense while minimizing injury to the opponent."

"Ooh! What rank are you?" Alfred seemed to bounce in his shoes with excitement.

"I am Sandan, which, in belt form, would be a… third degree black belt, though the emphasis is not on belt rank but on actual understanding and use of the concepts.'" Kiku added.

"Whoa! That's awesome!" The elevator doors dinged open and the two stepped out into the lobby.

"Thank you… but also, please keep in mind that not everyone from Japan knows some type of martial art."

"Well, yeah, it's like how not all Americans carry guns around," replied Alfred as he waved down a taxi. "But it's still awesome~!" Kiku shook his head, amused.

The two entered the taxi and Alfred told the driver where to go. "Where are we going, if I may ask?" Kiku asked as the taxi took off.

"Oh, duh, I shoulda told you, huh?" Alfred said. "The client, well, potential client, is the owner of a restaurant that's finished its fiscal year. They need to be audited and he's screening a few different accountants, I guess."

"Ah. And I am necessary because…?"

"I kinda suck at taking notes and staying organized… if you hadn't noticed by now," Alfred looked off to the side, a bit embarrassed. "It doesn't really look very good for me to scribble stuff down and then call the client up a few days later to get the same info again..."

"Ah, I understand." Kiku cringed internally as he noticed that Alfred seemed a bit ashamed. _You are not supposed to make him uncomfortable!_

"Speaking of organizing, how'd you do?" Alfred asked, smiling down at Kiku again. _That was rather quick…_

"Oh, well," Kiku pulled out his PDA. "I put in some of your appointments already. Would you like to see?"

"Sure! Ooh, is that the new HP model?"

"Yes, I just purchased it recently, actually, after my previous one broke…"

Kiku and Alfred spent the rest of the trip chatting, straying off topic every once in a while. Alfred would occasionally crack a joke and both were completely engaged in the conversation, not even noticing the traffic that they encountered as they spoke. It was only when the taxi driver stopped the car and turned around that their attention broke.

"That'll be $28.40."

"Oh, uh, yeah, just let me-" Alfred dug his hand in his pocket, reaching for his wallet. Kiku pulled out his own wallet before Alfred did and removed a few bills.

"$35," said Kiku as he handed the man the money. "That covers the customary 20% tip, yes?"

"Yeah, thanks." The man took the money and Kiku and Alfred got off of the cab.

Alfred took his wallet out of his trouser pocket, and opened it. "Here you go Kiku, thanks," he said as he pulled out some money. Kiku waved the money away.

"There is no need. I simply paid back the debt I owed you for the initial cab ride to the company."

"But this one cost more." Alfred frowned slightly. "It's not really fair."

"It is fine," Kiku replied. Alfred seemed to want to retort, but Kiku kept talking. "And we should not spend more time out here discussing this, as-" He looked at his watch. "- it is already 8:50."

"Ha, you were right about the time!" Alfred grinned down at Kiku. "It's a good thing I have you around!" Kiku smiled politely. "Let's go in. It's right here." Alfred pointed at the restaurant they were standing in front of: Yao's House of Wok.

The two approached the door and Alfred's hand stretched out for the door handle, but before he was able to grab it, the door slammed open.

"You're late!" A slim figure stood in front of them, a ladle in one hand. He wore a stained white shirt and red apron with gold lettering, his brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Though his body seemed feminine, Kiku noted, the glare he was giving the two of them was rather… intimidating.

Alfred smiled up at the man, his professionalism showing through. "Good morning, Mr. Yao Wang- actually, we're 10 minutes earl-"

The man scoffed. "You're late! The last person left 30 minutes ago, which means I had to wait half an hour for you to come here. You are late!"

Kiku and Alfred exchanged a glance. How Yao had expected them to somehow know that they were supposed to arrive 40 minutes early was beyond either's reasoning.

Alfred tried to speak again. "Sorry about that, but our appointment was for 9, so-"

Yao rolled his eyes. "Aiyah!" he muttered under his breath. "I'll be generous today. You can come in." He turned around smartly and went inside. Alfred looked at Kiku, shrugged and followed. Kiku walked in after, removing a pen from his shirt pocket. He clicked the pen's top as the door shut behind him.

Yao had led Alfred to a small room in the corner of the restaurant, near the kitchen, apparently his office and both were now sitting. The ladle sat on the table between Yao and Alfred. Kiku remained standing behind Alfred, his hand poised to write. Yao simply stared at Alfred, who seemed unsure if he was allowed to speak.

Alfred broke the silence hesitantly. "So… you need to be audited?"

Yao leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, nodded slightly and kept looking at Alfred.

Alfred cleared his throat. "If I understood correctly, your fiscal year has recently ended and you're thinking of expanding to another restaurant. And to do that, you need to take out a loan, and the lending institution requires an audit of financial statements." Yao nodded again and Kiku wrote down a few notes. "Okay… My company, RWB Finance, can provide this service accurately and at a low fee, within a-"

"_Your _company?" Yao narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Aren't you a little young to own a company?"

Kiku could see that Alfred had gotten this question many times- his mouth twitched slightly before he answered. "I'm 25. And I don't actually own it, but I manage it. My dad technically is still the owner, but he's retired now and-"

Yao let out a laugh. "_Hei, Mei, guo lai!_ (Hey, Mei, come here!)" he called out in Mandarin, turning back to the kitchen, which was visible through a door. Alfred looked on in confusion. A girl peered out from behind the door a bit hesitantly. "Look at this boy! Just because his father owns a company, he thinks he can run it!". Yao shook his head and laughed to himself. "_Sha haizi_! (Silly boy!)"

Kiku felt annoyance at Yao's rude disregard for Alfred, and was unable to stop himself from retorting. "_Wo xiangxin ni shi cuow de _(I believe you are mistaken)," he started. Alfred and Yao both looked back at Kiku in surprise as he continued in Mandarin. "He is a very capable and it would be a mistake to pass over him because of his youth."

Yao raised an eyebrow. "_Shi shenme rang ni zheme renwei ma?_ (What makes you think so?)_"_

"In the short time I have worked for him, he has proven to be very resourceful and he is extremely capable," replied Kiku, his Mandarin a bit rusty. He swallowed- he had no real proof of this, it was simply his impression thus far.

Yao narrowed his gaze again as he placed Kiku's accent. "_Riben ren?_ (Japanese?)_"_

Kiku nodded apprehensively. "_Shi de_. (Yes.)" Yao looked at Kiku, examining, then smirked.

"I can't say much for his hiring a Japanese person… but at least he made sure you spoke Mandarin." Despite himself, Kiku held his tongue. _Do not say anything, do not say anything. This will help Alfred-sama…_

Yao looked at Alfred, who had been left out of the conversation and was staring back blankly. He switched back to English. "I expect this to be quick. I want it done in no more than a week."

Alfred looked up at Kiku, his eyes full of questions, but he turned back to Yao. "Of course. I'll need access to your financial information." Yao nodded and opened his desk drawer, pulled out a large folder and handed it to Alfred. Alfred opened up the folder and began to examine some of the pages. "Okay, so it looks like most of this is in order, but since you're the owner, I'll also need to make sure that your personal finances match these. What I need to see is…"

Kiku took notes as Alfred spoke, making sure not to miss any details. His assumption had been correct, it seemed- Alfred looked every bit the professional as he looked over the Yao's documents. He occasionally would look up at Kiku, who remained standing, to tell him to mark something as important; Kiku noticed that his blue eyes were not as playful they were earlier, but were instead full of determination. It was odd but, Kiku thought, it was an interesting facet of his character.

When they finally left at about 10, Alfred seemed a bit tired, but he still had a bounce in his step. He looked down at Kiku, who was giving his notes one last look over. "I didn't know you spoke Chinese."

Kiku raised an eyebrow. "It was on my résumé, actually."

Alfred frowned slightly, thinking. "I guess I missed that in my research."

"That brings up an interesting question. How did you know I was qualified if you did not look at my résumé?"

"I never said I didn't look at it, I just said I missed it. Besides, that's not the only thing I looked at." Alfred's tone was teasing again. "I know a lot more about you than you think I do~"

Kiku's eyebrows creased. "What else did you research?"

"Oh, nothing much~" Alfred grinned at Kiku. "Just a few things here and there." Alfred winked.

Kiku felt his something in his chest flip. It was not as if he had anything to hide, but… _What exactly did he find out?_

Alfred kept grinning. He put a hand on Kiku's shoulder. "Don't worry, they're all good things~ I wouldn't have hired you otherwise." He flagged down a taxi. "And, oh!" He looked back at Kiku, who was still thinking. "Don't you even think about paying this time. It's my turn!"

Kiku sighed. "If you wish it to be so, Alfred-sama..." Alfred smirked.

"Still Alfred-sama?"

"_Sumimasen,_ I meant Alfred-san." In his haste to correct his mistake, and still wondering what exactly Alfred knew, Kiku had accidentally answered in Japanese. "And I apologize once more, I meant to say 'Sorry'." The two got into the taxi.

"No problem~" Suddenly, Alfred seemed to become serious again. "Oh, and Kiku…Thanks." Kiku looked at him, confused. "I don't know what you were saying to Mr. Wang, but whatever it was… thanks." Alfred smiled at him warmly.

Kiku smiled back, just as warmly. He had been right about it helping out Alfred "There is no need for thanks."

"And that makes three~" Kiku opened his mouth to ask what Alfred meant, but he was cut off as the driver turned.

The driver cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but could you guys tell me where you're going? I don't have all day."

"Whoops! To the Skyline, my man," said Alfred. The driver turned around and the taxi pulled out.

"Ano, three what?" Kiku asked.

"Three smiles. That's how many I've seen from you so far," replied Alfred, grinning. "And I'll get more from you yet, that's a promise~!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

**Wow, long chappy? XD so we see China~ Sorry, I always make him kind of mean, for some reason. XD And sorry for the fail Chinese. If it was confusing, what I meant is that both Yao and Kiku were speaking Mandarin after Yao started up until he switched back to English. Hope that made sense! **

…**Yes, again, I failed to reply to your reviews… DX But I read them and thank you all so much! I find it highly amusing that a few of you aren't Ameripan fans but you still like the story. Yay~ I'm not trying to get anyone to switch OTPs or anything, but I do appreciate your reading my story, and any other side effects are bonus? :D **

**I'll answer the questions that were asked or implied by my reviewers:**

**Will Alfred get a kink for being called "Alfred-sama"? Maybe~ XD**

**Yes, boss-man extraordinaire will probably make Kiku's life a little more difficult. But not in a bad way :D**

**Uh, to two of you that reviewed anonymously: Will there be a rival company? Um… I don't know. I was thinking about maybe doing something like that, but I promised cuteness and that means fluff, so I don't know about actual plot besides just the two getting together XD. I think there may be, I'm still a bit iffy. I definitely have ideas, several, in fact, but in the summary I promised cuteness. And no, it's not bad that it reminds you of The Office. XD **

**Finally, one of you mentioned something about blocks of text… Sorry! I tried to make my paragraphs smaller this time, I hoped that helped~ **

**I have vague ideas for the future chapters, but the Christmas and New Year's Eve chapters are pretty much written. :3 I think you guys'll like those~**

**Thanks again for all the reviews! :D You guys keep my motivation to keep writing nice and high! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Brief warning, this chapter is _very_ random. I was hyper when I came up with it.

Sumimasen. DX

* * *

><p>"Yo, Kiku~!"<p>

Kiku turned around in his swiveling chair as his boss bounced into the office, grinning as usual. It had been 3 weeks since he had begun working with Alfred and, for some reason or another, seeing Alfred's signature smile was quickly becoming one of the highlights of Kiku's day.

"Yes, Alfred-san?" Kiku asked, a bit proud of the fact that he had, for once, managed not to stutter over the honorific at the end of Alfred's name.

Alfred blinked, and for a brief moment, he seemed almost… disappointed. _Or_ _perhaps I am just seeing things_,Kiku thought, as Alfred held up a white paper sack emblazoned with the McDonald's logo. "Lunch?"

"Of course. It would be my pleasure to accompany you," Kiku replied. "But please allow me to finish this last task up quickly." Alfred nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, go ahead!"

He stood beside the desk as Kiku turned back to his computer and quickly typed out a response to a rather pleasantly surprising email. Mr. Yao Wang himself had decided to thank Alfred for the auditing he had done for House of Wok. This email said, though somewhat curtly, that Yao was happy with the job and that he had gotten his loan. The message also seemed to imply that Yao might look forward to working with RWB in the future, and he had offered Alfred a free meal for two at his restaurant, if he was so inclined to accept. It was a rather nice offer, Kiku thought, and now he was answering on Alfred's behalf.

"You like Chinese food, ne?"

"Uh, sure? Why, didja bring some?" Alfred frowned. "Wait a sec, I thought you said you were Japanese!" he added accusingly.

"I am." Alfred looked at Kiku, obviously confused. "But Wang-san is not- nor is his restaurant. He has offered you a dinner for two in thanks for your work."

"Ohhhh! Awesome, that sounds great!"

"I thought you might think so." Kiku finished typing out his reply as Alfred waited, obviously impatient. Kiku struggled to maintain a straight face as he saw Alfred bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that Alfred was not only a grown man, but that he was also the person in charge of a company that dealt with the finances of businesses and other people.

A loud rumbling surprised Kiku, who then bit his lip in amusement as he realized it was Alfred's stomach growling. Alfred continued fidgeting as Kiku pressed "Send", pulled his lunch out of his briefcase, and stood up.

"All done, Alfred-san."

"Yay, food time!" Alfred held the door open for Kiku, visibly excited.

"Ah, _arigato_," Kiku thanked him.

"No prob~ Oh, wait, I know this one! Er… do-ee-tah-she-mash-tay?"Alfred had asked Kiku to teach him such Japanese, so Kiku tried to provide as many opportunities as possible for him to do so.

"_Doitashimashite_. You were very close, Alfred-san, good job."

Alfred frowned a bit. "But it's not perfect yet. I want to speak Japanese as well as you speak English, dude."

The two headed to one of the conference rooms, where they usually had lunch. Kiku occasionally had lunch with some of the others as well. When not with Alfred, he usually ate with Matthew, and oftentimes, they were joined by others. So far, he had also been accompanied by the Italian brothers, Lovino and Feliciano, who, for some reason, had not seemed to notice Matthew much. The three people Alfred had pointed out as "to be avoided" Kiku had only seen in passing or had only spoken with him on occasion.

"Not to put a damper on your plans, Alfred-san, but Japanese is a difficult language to master, even if one speaks it natively. You will need to practice often and for a very long time to speak it well."

"Well, it's a good thing you're around, huh?" Alfred beamed at Kiku.

"Ah, yes…"

The two entered Alfred's favorite conference room and pulled chairs out from beneath the table. "So I have the usual Mickey D's. How about you, Kiku?" Alfred asked as he opened his bag and pulled out two wrapped hamburgers and a large carton of French fries. Kiku placed a short stack of boxes on the table.

"Curry rice today, and some pickled vegetables." He pulled out his collapsible chopsticks. "The 'usual'."

Alfred grinned as he unwrapped one of his burgers. "Your bento things are so cute, dude. They're, like, all neat and stuff, like you."

Kiku blushed lightly. "Thank you…"

"Do-ee-tash-ee-mash-ee-teh."

"Ah, that was perfect, Alfred-san." Alfred grinned. "You learn quickly."

"Heh, ar-ee-gah-toh!"

Kiku smiled and opened his mouth to reply when the conference door burst open. Gilbert, who Kiku had spoken with perhaps twice, walked in, wearing a wide smirk on his face, and headed straight towards Kiku. Before Kiku had a chance to react, Gilbert reached under his arms and grabbed him, dragging him out of the room, leaving chairs strewn about.

"_N-Nandaro_?"

"What the fu- Gilbert, where are you taking him?" Alfred stood up and chased after Gilbert, maneuvering around the chairs. "Is this another one of your little gam-"

"Mr. Alfred, Mr. Alfred!" Feliciano suddenly appeared and ran up to Alfred, wielding an envelope. "I was told to give this to you! Antonio says it's very, very important.!"

Alfred tried to get around the small man. "I'm sure it can wait, Kiku's being kidna-"

"He told me it was very urgent and that you have to read it right now!" Feliciano stood in front of Alfred, blocking his path, his face determined. He held the envelope in front of Alfred's face, waving it and blocking his view of Gilbert and Kiku.

"GAH." Alfred grabbed it from Feliciano's hand and began to rip open the envelope; Kiku lost sight of him as Gilbert continued to drag him. Once he was over his initial shock (being dragged away from one's lunch tends to do that to one), he briefly considered fighting back and freeing himself. However, he decided to let the plan go through. He doubted that Gilbert would kidnap him without a reason and so, he allowed Gilbert to take him where ever they were going, wondering what exactly he had planned. Additionally, it was unlikely that Gilbert was acting alone. He waited patiently as Gilbert took him into a stairwell marked "Roof Entrance". Matthew would usually be at his desk, but apparently, Kiku noted from the horrified gasp in the copy room and the flurry of papers spilling out the door, Gilbert and his friends had taken care of that as well.

"Kesesesese, that was way too easy!" Gilbert grinned, keeping his grip on Kiku's arms as he dragged him up the stairs. Kiku allowed Gilbert to drag him and tire himself out. Once they got to the top, Gilbert kicked open the door and a gust of cold air hit the two. Gilbert dragged Kiku out of the stairwell and kept his hold on him.

"It appears your plan worked, Gilbert." A blonde man was waiting on the roof, his scarf billowing in the breeze. He smiled as he tossed his hair over his shoulder.

"Didn't even put up a fight!" Gilbert hooted. "Too easy!"

Kiku raised his eyebrow. So Francis had been in on it too. It seemed Alfred had been right about their causing trouble. Well, whatever they had been thinking, Kiku decided he had had enough. "Gilbert-san, if you are wise, you will let me go now."

Gilbert looked down at Kiku, grinning. "Kesesesese, Alfred won't be up here to save you anytime soon, if that's what you're thinking."

Antonio stepped out from behind Francis. "_Es verdad_! I got Feli to distract him for a while, and the note we gave him says we took you somewhere far away."

Kiku sighed. "I am quite serious, Gilbert-san."

"No one can defeat the awesome might of Gilbert Beilschmidt! Especially not some puny guy like you!" Gilbert scoffed.

Kiku frowned slightly. "I did warn you." Kiku took a deep breath, closed his eyes and counted to three quietly. He twisted out of Gilbert's grip quickly, grabbed his arm, and knocked him to the ground.

"What the fu- Ow!" Gilbert cried as he hit the cold, hard roof.

Kiku stepped away neatly and dusted himself off. "I will forgive your rather rude transgression of common courtesy and will be leaving now," he said, looking at a rather shocked Francis and Antonio. "I am sure Alfred-san is at the very least confused by what has just occurred. I know I am."

Francis reacted first. His shock melted away into a grin that made Kiku nervous.

"Hon hon hon, it seems little Kiku has some fire, _non_?"

Antonio beamed. "That was _maravilloso_!"

Kiku looked at the two, confused. Should they not be concerned for Gilbert? He looked down in time to see Gilbert sitting up. _Good, it seems I did not harm him much._ Gilbert stood.

"I did not cause too much pain, did I?" Gilbert shook his head, putting his hand on the small of his back.

"That…that was fucking awesome! You need to show me how to do that!"

Kiku's eyebrows met. _He drags me out of my lunch by force and then I throw him to the ground… and he asks me to teach him how I did it? _He shook his head. _I will never understand these Westerners…_

"I think not. Oh, and before I leave, I would like to know exactly what it was that you kidnapped me for. I hope for your sakes it was something worthwhile, as I doubt Alfred-san will be very amused by the fact that you caused such a commotion in the office." Kiku put his hands on his hips in the form of fists and gave a stern look to the three friends. The reaction was not what he was expecting.

"Oh, _mon dieu_! Kiku, you look adorable!" France tittered and turned to Antonio, whispering conspiratorially. "We were right, they'll looks so cute together!" Antonio nodded enthusiastically.

"_Si, si_! And their personalities fit together too, it will be _perfecto!_" Gilbert laughed.

"Kesesesese, Antonio, I don't think you're the best person to judge personalities for couples. I mean seriously, Lovino?"

The three were not making any sense and Kiku was losing his patience- he sighed. "Never mind. You have already made me spend a third of my lunch time. I will forgive you for this this time, but do not attempt anything like it again." He turned to leave. Suddenly, Francis grabbed his shoulder. Kiku looked at the hand then turned and looked at Francis seriously. "Did you not see what happened to Gilbert-san?"

Francis' grin became slightly apprehensive. "Just one quick second, _non?_ Didn't you want to know why we did this?" Kiku hesitated, but turned to face Francis fully, making sure to get out of his reach. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You have one minu-"

"Are you gay?"

Kiku stared blankly, feeling his cheeks getting redder as Francis looked down at him expectantly. Antonio and Gilbert also watched with the same look; Kiku was beginning to feel cornered and he took a step back.

"I-I-I…" Kiku stuttered, flustered. The question had come out of the blue.

"It's okay~ I'm bisexual myself. It would be selfish of me to deny anyone access to this," Francis gestured at himself with a flourish of his hands. "_Non?_"

"And I think that gender is not a barrier when it comes to true _amor_." Antonio smiled at Kiku warmly. Kiku kept staring at the three, his gaze shifting to Gilbert, who had yet to speak.

"Oh no, I'm not telling 'til you do."

Kiku stared for a few more seconds before his thoughts reorganized themselves. He cleared his throat and turned to the door again, his cheeks still red. He spoke as curtly as possible, trying to keep his voice from giving anything away.

"I do not care to know your personal preferences, and there is no reason for you to know mine. I would not discuss such matters with strangers such as you. I will leave now." Kiku put his hand on the door handle, but again, he was interrupted, this time by Antonio, who pulled him into a tight hug.

"But we are not strangers and there is no reason to be shy~! We are all _amigos_ here!"

Kiku turned a darker red and tried to shove Antonio away. "L-let me go!" Antonio only squeezed tighter.

"R-r-release me, please!" Kiku struggled against Antonio for a bit before deciding that, though he felt a bit guilty doing it to the cheerful man, he would have to break the hold before he suffocated.

But today was really not Kiku's day. He was interrupted _yet again_, this time by an angry Italian.

"Antonio! Did you send Felicia-"

A very angry Italian.

Lovino glared at Antonio and Kiku, who had frozen when the door opened. "… you son of a bitch…"

"Lovino, _hola!_" Kiku stared up at Antonio, who seemed blissfully oblivious to Lovino's obvious anger. "How are you~? _Te extrañe~!_" He cheerfully held onto Kiku, who was now desperately squirming, trying to get away.

"MISSED ME? YOU MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD, I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR TEN FUCKING MINUTES AND YOU HOOK UP WITH THE GOD DAMNED SECRETARY?"

"N-no one is 'hooking up' with anyone, Antonio-san simply embra-"

Lovino either was not listening or didn't care if he interrupted. "You Spanish-speaking, tomato-eating, guitar-playing jackass! I can't fucking believe it!" Antonio seemed to realize he was in trouble, as he finally let Kiku go. Kiku stumbled backwards, getting out of the way, and ended up next to Francis and Gilbert, who were watching the exchange with disinterest, as if it happened all the time.

"First, you send my idiot _fratello_ to deliver some god damned note to the boss and the fucking note says you stole his secretary?"

"Lovi, I-"

Lovino's glare grew more pronounced, effectively silencing Antonio. "And then Feliciano gets yelled at and he fucking starts crying! And then I try to find you, and here you are, fucking _cheating_ on me!" Lovino's face was bright red with fury, his hands clenched into fists. Antonio seemed a bit shocked, and he opened his mouth.

"Lovino… " Lovino looked at Antonio as if he were daring him to say something. "I…" Francis and Gilbert suddenly seemed interested. "I… "

Lovino also seemed surprised. "W-what?" He asked hesitantly.

Antonio smiled sunnily. "I think someone needs a hug~!" He went forward and hugged Lovino, who pushed him away. Francis and Gilbert rolled their eyes.

"Get away!" Lovino stormed into the stairwell. "Don't bother talking to me!"

"Lovi! Come back!"

Gilbert and Francis both sighed as Antonio went chasing after Lovino, then turned to Kiku, who was staring in shock.

"W-what just happened?"

Francis waved Kiku's question off. "Don't worry about it, _mon cheri_. The two will _rouler une pelle_ in a corner soon enough." Francis sighed as Kiku looked at him blankly. "Roll the shovel? Er, _comment dites-vous_…? Ah! Make out!" Another blank look. "Seriously, _mon_ Kiku, even I am not so hopeless with the slang. Kiss. With tongue. Would you like me to demonstrate~?" added Francis with a wink. Gilbert chuckled.

"That would screw up your little plan, wouldn't it?" Francis pouted.

"You're right…"

"Anyway, Kiku, you never answered the question. You as straight as a ruler or bent as a rainbow?"

"…" Kiku pulled out his phone, dialed a number and pressed the call button, ignoring the two.

"Kiku? What are you doing?"

"I am informing Alfred-san of my whereabouts, as you no doubt sent him to the other side of town, and will be leaving now. Ah, Alfred-san, " Kiku began as Alfred picked up on the other line. "No, I am fine. They took me to-"

Francis yanked the phone out Kiku's hand. "Hi Alfred! Don't worry, we'll have him back to you soon~!" He hung up and Kiku reached for the phone. "Ah, ah, ah! No phone for you!" Francis took the phone to the roof's edge and dangled it above the busy New York streets. "Answer the question and you'll get it back!"

Kiku blanched. "You would not…"

"Oh, I would." Francis lifted a finger from the phone. "Answer the question or your little phone meets its maker before the warranty runs out~!" Kiku began to feel his heart race. His phone had his entire life on it. Phone numbers, pictures, documents, everything. It was like a best friend. But to get it back…

"I…"

"Three. Two." He couldn't tell… absolutely not! But… Francis was holding the phone with two fingers now.

"I- I-I…" Kiku covered his hand with his mouth, hesitating.

"One."

Kiku shut his eyes tightly, his face red. "Yes! Yes, I am!" he gasped out.

Francis smiled triumphantly. "See, it wasn't so difficult, was it? Here." He wiggled the phone.

"D-do not do that, you will-"

The phone disappeared from Francis' hand. Kiku ran over to the roof's edge and watched as his phone, his dear, dear phone, crashed to the ground.

"_Oh Scheisse_." Gilbert looked over and saw the phone on the ground, then looked over at Kiku. "Uh… I… See ya!" He ran for the stairwell, leaving Francis alone with Kiku, who had gone eerily silent.

Several minutes passed before Francis broke the silence. "K-Kiku… I…"

Kiku looked up at Francis, smiling in a way that made shivers go down Francis' spine. "May I have my phone back, Francis-san?"

"I-I don't have it…"

"Where is my phone, Francis-san?"

"I-I-I… I dropped it."

"Then kindly pick it up and return it."

"I can't... But I'll pay you back?"

"Yes. You will." Kiku turned his back to Francis, crossing his arms as he took a few calming breaths. _Calm, calm._ "I hope you are happy. You ruined my lunch, invaded personal space, extracted personal information from me, and destroyed my phone. I hope my answer was worth it."

Francis opened his mouth to reply when the door to the roof opened once more. Kiku looked up to see a figure in the doorway.

Alfred.

And he had with him Kiku's phone.

Kiku spoke first. "A-Alfred-san? How did you find us?"

Alfred was supporting himself with the door frame, panting. "Well… after this…" he said between breaths, and glared up at Francis. "…idiot's friends tore the…office apart, I… tried to find you. The note Antonio sent Feliciano… to give me… said they took you… to Central Park." Alfred held up a finger and took a few deep breaths, then stood up straight. "Woo, running around like a maniac is tiring. Anyway, traffic here is murder at lunch time, so I assumed they lied and were hiding in the building. I ran around the whole fricking thing, then decided to check outside and lo and behold, I found this." He handed Kiku the remains of his phone. "Sorry, I couldn't save it… "Kiku took his phone, cradling it tenderly to his chest. "But I realized you had to be up here, and when I ran back inside, I ran into Gilbert, who told me he thought you were going to kick Francis' ass. And since you clearly haven't, I might just do it myself." Alfred walked over to Francis, his eyes narrowed.

"You, your little friends and me are going to have a little chat in my office about tearing up the business and kidnapping my workers," he said, poking Francis menacingly in the chest. "Not cool." Francis rolled his eyes, seemingly unconcerned. "And Kiku…" Alfred turned to Kiku, looking at the phone in his hand sympathetically. "You can take the rest of the day off. Today's been exciting enough, I'm sure." Kiku nodded in thanks.

"Thank you…"

"Not a problem, Kiku. Francis. Come with me." Alfred turned and went to the door. Francis sighed and followed. Then, just before he left, he turned back to Kiku.

"Er… sorry about your phone... but it was worth it." Kiku glared silently. "Let me tell you something that might make you change your mind." Kiku raised an eyebrow, sure that nothing Francis told him would change anything. Francis gestured for Kiku to come closer; Kiku grudgingly complied.

Francis cupped his hand around his mouth and whispered in Kiku's ear.

"Alfred's gay too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Long note again guys, sorry! And sorry for the late update… I was SUPER busy this weekend and yeah… And this chapter SUCKS, I'm sorry. DX It will get better though! Well… maybe it doesn't suck and I just feel writer's block coming on, but… :P This chappy gave me trouble.

Anyhoo~

… I don't want to get you _too _excited, but… would it be too soon if I got them together by the end of the year? :/ I have 2 or 3 plans in mind of how exactly they'll get together, and honestly, my favorite is the one that would be earlier on the timeline, but I don't know if that'll work… Something to keep in mind is that from now on, the chapters won't be like day by day; they'll be skipping ahead in time, etc. because I don't really think I can come up with enough ideas to do this for each day in their time. Anyhoo, thanks for the input and I won't tell you which I choose- it'll just kinda happen. :D

Ooh, edit: I know some of the dialogue has grammatical errors (Alfred says "You, your little friends and me" when it should be "I") but that's how people actually talk when they say things, so forgive those lapses in grammar. It's all part of the story. :D

Reviews again~ Sorry guys, I think I'll just take to replying to them in these Author's Notes. DX It's honestly a ton easier, so don't feel offended please! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far and thanks for reading guys! :D 3

Lunarangel's Dark Flame: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! I wasn't really particularly happy with this chapter, actually, so I'm glad you think it's good! :D Glad you thought it was cute~ Oh yes, the winter holidays will be fun~

xIkuna: Yay, that means I'm doing my job! :D I'm so happy that it entertains you; I was afraid it might seem a bit boring… And it's fine that you're not a fan of the couple. I'm just glad you like the story! :D

I hope this update pleases you~

Nivell: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it!

Angelsxdemons: You like bossy China? :D I was afraid he might seem like too much of a jerk XD I'm glad you thought that was funny. :) Hmm… RoChu? Eh… I think China'll be a minor character here, sorry~ Maybe my next fic? :D

Yup, thought you guys might find that cute. XD Ooh, well that'll be a fun question to answer. Let's see… you'll have to decide for yourself because I'm writing this in 3rd person limited, which is weird for me, since I usually go with 3rd person omniscient. That means _you_ guys don't know what Alfred's thinking, just what Kiku thinks. Now, I was thinking that I might write "How I Met My Secretary", which would be Alfred's version, but I don't know what you guys would think… I don't want to seem like I'm trying to, like, sell this idea to you guys or whatever, but if you'd be interested, drop me a line~

lady-ribbon: XD He hasn't even really done anything yet, but I agree, I'd love to work for him! Oh yes, the poor two. XD Gilbert will only troll more, I think~ ;D

Shylittlebunny09: Kiku's a good employee, of course he'd stand up for him~ yup, Alfred made him smile all three times so far, if you're keeping track (real happy smiles, not polite ones)! And lol, yes, Yao was. I'm glad you read the chapter! :D

Lollypop-Otakuu: Konbanwa~ (It's evening as I write this)

I'm so glad! :D And XD Kiku speaks Japanese, English and Chinese (my personal headcanon, and Chinese is the language of business, so he'd be very helpful, right?) Romance will begin to creep in I think~ :D

lady-ribbon: Oh yes, yes he will. XD Yup yup! I'd love Alfred as my boss, honestly. XD Uh, not a typo, but thanks! He actually meant that though Matthew wouldn't annoy him, he might be boring to him. I should have worded it differently I suppose. Thanks for looking at the story so closely though~! Thank you for reviewing!

YuugisGirl- Aw, thanks! I'm really glad you like it! / You think it's well written? Aw! :D I'm so glad you think so! I will keep writing, I hope this last chapter wasn't horrible DX


	6. Chapter 6

Few people milled around the New York streets, stragglers from the lunch hour that had just ended; Kiku paid little attention to them as he walked back to his apartment from the subway, carrying his briefcase in one hand, staring forlornly at the completely destroyed phone in the other. The screen had shattered into a lattice of cracks, the full QWERTY keyboard stuck out at an odd angle, the camera's lens had cracked. It was ridiculous, he knew it was, but he felt bereaved. His DoCoMo had served him well this past year, and now… it was gone.

_It is Francis-san's fault…_ he thought, a bit bitterly. _And Gilbert-san's fault, and Antonio-san's fault. But mostly Francis-san's fault. _He held the phone close to himself. _Sumimasen. You did not deserve such a grisly end… _

As Kiku took the stairs up to his apartment, there was one worry that preoccupied him, pushing his thoughts about his phone to the back of his mind. _Why did he ask me __that__ question? And why, why, why did he tell me about Alfred-san?_ he thought, fumbling his key a little as he tried to open his door. He put the phone into his pocket so that he could get into his apartment.

He had never actually told anyone he knew that he was, well, a bit different, before. Even his family didn't know. When he had told Francis, it had been an act of pure desperation, a few frantic words blurted out before he really had the chance to think things through—worst of all, he had lost the phone anyway. And, for some strange reason, Francis had assumed telling Kiku that Alfred was the same would be a form of compensation. Had he expected that Kiku would feel more comfortable? In reality, it made everything a bit awkward. Alfred did not know that Kiku knew, and Kiku hoped fervently that Francis and the others wouldn't tell Alfred that they had told him about it. To know personal information about someone without their knowledge of it- it was a grave breach of courtesy. Even worse, however, would be if Francis and Gilbert told Alfred Kiku's answer. Kiku blanched a little. They would not be so outspoken to do so, would they? _Well, Francis-san did ask that question…_ _Why did he ask that?_

_Perhaps he thinks I may like Alfred-san?_ He shook his head. _No, no, that would be ridiculous._ He removed his shoes once he stepped inside and placed them neatly on the shoe rack just inside the door. He also removed his suit jacket and folded it over his forearm.

_Or perhaps… Alfred-san… likes…me?_ Kiku felt his cheeks turn pink as the thought came unbidden into his head. He brought his hands up to his face and shook his head rapidly, his eyes shut tightly as he attempted to dispel the thought.

_No, no, no, no, no! Alfred-san does not seem to have a close enough relationship with Francis-san to tell him such, even if he did like me. Which he does not. He has not shown the slightest interest, and I doubt he realizes that I… prefer men. _Yes, Kiku assured himself, Alfred was not the best at inferring things and Kiku doubted that he was so obvious that Alfred would be able to tell. However, that still left the question: why had Francis asked in the first place?

Kiku locked the door behind him and headed to the small kitchenette after draping his suit jacket over his desk's chair and setting the briefcase on the ground next to his computer. He had yet to eat lunch, since the whole mishap with Gilbert, Francis and Antonio had eliminated any opportunity he had had to eat. In truth, he was rather hungry now, but he didn't really feel like eating his bento anymore. It had dried out a bit after Gilbert had forcibly ended his lunchtime and it did not look quite so appetizing.

Kiku opened his pantry and looked around. _Rice, canned vegetables, noodles, cereal, canned and packaged soups…_ he turned to his refrigerator. Fish, chicken, pork, and beef in the freezer, some vegetables and eggs in the bottom portion. Kiku sighed as he closed the door. He didn't really want to cook either. _Perhaps I could call for some takeout foo- Oh, right._ He stuck his hand back into his pocket and pulled out the phone again. _How will I replace it?_ The phone model he had had was not available in the United States, and he honestly had no idea where to start. Kiku pondered over what the replacement would be as he set water to boil for some instant ramen. Francis was going to pay to replace the old one, but as upset as Kiku was over the loss of his phone, he was not about to force him to buy him a spectacularly expensive phone either; however, he was not about to allow him to slide by with a cheap model either. Kiku tapped his chin with a pair of chopsticks as he thought about it.

What kind of phone would suit his purposes? _Alfred-san_ _may be able to help…_ _But I cannot call him, obviously. Nor would it be a good idea to call him during work hours._ _But I can email him, I suppose._ Kiku pulled out his PDA.

Though he was distressed by the loss of his phone, he could barely fathom what his reaction would have been if Francis had dropped his PDA over the edge of the building. He may have thrown Francis himself off the building if that had been the case. Well, perhaps not thrown him _off_- that would be a bit excessive. But to the floor was easily a possibility.

Kiku typed out his email as he waited for his water to boil:

"Dear Alfred-san," Kiku hesitated, feeling a bit paranoid. _What if Francis-san did tell him? Then I may seem very forward by referring to him as "Dear"._

"To whom it may concern:" _No, no, too formal. If Francis-san has told him, he will surely suspect that something is amiss if I suddenly drop what little familiarity we have._

"Konnichiwa, Alfred-san;" _There, that may be better. He seems to appreciate it when I use Japanese...Or should I say "sama" so as to maintain a bit of formality? _

The whistling of the kettle broke Kiku out of his reverie. He removed the kettle from the stove and poured the steaming hot water into his Styrofoam cup of noodles, then turned back to his PDA as he typed out the email.

"Konnichiwa, Alfred-sama;

I thank you once more for allowing me to take the rest of the day off. I appreciate it very much." _Okay, I am doing well so far…_

"If I may, I would like to request your assistance in another matter." _Still fine…_

"Would you recommend a new phone for me? I do not have a very extensive knowledge of phones here in the United States, and any help you are able to provide would be most appreciated. Please do not worry about it too much either, as you are no doubt still busy with work.

_Ohenji omachi shite orimasu_ (I look forward to hearing from you),

Honda Kiku"

_Perhaps the Japanese at the end is too much? Should I put my name in the Western format?_ He did so, then read the short message again. It seemed to fulfill what he wanted it to, so he sent it, then turned to his ramen. He removed the lid and stirred the ramen with his chopsticks as he walked over to his sitting room. Kiku sat on the couch with his legs folded beneath him and turned the television on with the remote using his free hand.

He didn't really care what was on, he just like having some sort of distraction to watch as he ate. Today, it was a soap opera, something about a woman who had amnesia and had woken up to find a man who claimed he was her fiancé, but in reality, he was engaged to her twin sister (he didn't know they were twins), who was cheating on him with the son of the doctor that had treated the amnesiac woman, who had actually tried to kill herself because she was in love with her best friend's boyfriend, but the suicide failed and now she couldn't remember anything. Or something like that, Kiku wasn't really sure; however, he watched with rapt attention as the plot unfolded, raising the chopsticks to his mouth every once in a while to feed himself. As he was watching intently, his PDA beeped, informing him that he had a reply.

Surprised, Kiku nearly dropped his cup of ramen. He slurped up the noodles hanging on his chopsticks, then stuck the chopsticks in his mouth as he patted himself down with one hand to find the PDA and opened the email he had just received.

"iphone"

Just "iphone". It wasn't even properly capitalized. Kiku frowned at the message, then blinked once, slowly.

Of course, Alfred must have just seen it as he was working busily, and this was simply the first thing to come to mind. He obviously didn't have enough time to answer properly because he was busy (even though, Kiku remembered, Alfred's schedule was clear for the rest of the day and they weren't starting any new projects today). It wasn't as if Francis had told Alfred and now Alfred was trying to distance himself from Kiku because he thought Kiku might like him, and so he had answered in a brief and curt fashion…. Was it?

_No, no_, Kiku thought, shaking his head. _That can't be right…. Can it?_

Kiku pinched his forehead in frustration. Francis just had to have made everything confusing, hadn't he? _Do not trouble yourself. Alfred-san most definitely did not mean anything outside of the obvious. It is nothing to lose sleep over._

* * *

><p>"Hey Keeks, you okay?" Alfred asked as he walked in the next morning at work, loosening his yellow scarf. Kiku looked up from his computer, his hot and dry eyes framed by slight bags.<p>

So much for not losing sleep.

Kiku smiled a bit tiredly. "_Ohayo gozaimasu, _Alfred-san… I am fine, simply a bit tired. I was mentally… preoccupied."

"Ah, your phone?" Alfred asked, nodding sagely with his arms crossed. "I still can't believe Francis did that!"

"Actually, no, though it did have to do with Francis-san," Kiku said, feeling a bit nervous now that he was going to tell Alfred about Francis' question. But in truth, he may as well come clean so as to avoid any misunderstanding. "Yesterday, he… he told me that-"

"Ohmigosh, I just remembered something! Hold that thought!" Alfred ran back out of the office, leaving Kiku with words hanging in the air still. Kiku stared at the door for a few seconds, then sighed and turned back to his computer. He was getting used to Alfred's acts of randomness: if he was correct, Alfred would return in about 2 minutes with a grin and some sort of happy outburst. In the meantime, Kiku could probably get some work done.

_And what is on today's calendar?_ Kiku clicked open the Outlook file on which he kept record of meetings, deadlines and appointments. It seemed that today was mostly uneventful, save for the Alfred's meeting with the managerial staff later at 10 AM. Kiku pulled out his notepad and wrote the meeting down quickly, adding an asterisk next to it. He would need to run copies of the agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting, as well as be prepared to scribe the meeting. He pulled up the old minutes to print them and, just as he had predicted, he could hear Alfred talking loudly, returning already. Through the partially open blinds, he could see what appeared to be Alfred pushing someone in front of him; the door burst open and Francis was shoved in.

"Not so rough, Alfred! I can walk, you know!" Francis said, stumbling but catching himself gracefully before coming to a stop and turning to glare at Alfred.

"Blah, blah, blah Francis! Just give it to him! It's the _least_ you can do!" Alfred came in after Francis and waved at Kiku. "Kiku, Francis has a gift for you~!"

"A-Alfred-san, what is the meaning of this?" said Kiku, caught off guard. He stood up.

Alfred looked meaningfully at Francis, who sighed and held out a thin black parcel for Kiku. "Alfred forced me to get this for you as _remuneration_ for the… ah, mishap yesterday."

"Eto, that is unnecessary…" Kiku held his hands out just in front of him, indicating for Francis not to present the gift to him. Francis opened his mouth to reply, but Alfred interrupted.

"Come on Kiku, he owes you!" Francis rolled his eyes and held the package out lazily with one hand. "_Oui_, I suppose it's true… just take it."

Kiku took the gift with both hands and bowed slightly towards Francis. "_Domo arigato gozaimasu_… that is, thank you very much…" He placed the gift on his desk, then clasped his hands together and looked at Francis and Alfred, who stared back for a few moments.

"Um, Kiku…" Francis started. Alfred, once again, interrupted.

"Aren't ya gonna open it?" Kiku looked on blankly.

"What do you mean?"

"The gift. Duh." Alfred looked at Kiku just as blankly.

Kiku frowned. "Is that the custom here? I apologize; in Japan we usually wait to open gifts until we are home." Alfred made a shocked face.

"What? But seeing someone open a gift is like the best part! Come on, open it~!"

"_Oui_, I already bought it, I may as well know if you like it or not, _non_?"

Kiku picked up the package again, looked at it, then looked up at the two, who were watching expectantly.

"Open it~!"

Kiku looked back down at the box and peeled away the wrapping. "You did a very nice job of wrapping this, Francis-san," he commented as he peeled away the waxy black paper and placed it neatly on the desk. Beneath the black paper was a thin phone: black screen, silver back. "I-is this…"

Francis tossed his hair over his shoulder and crossed his arms. "It is. Is that sufficient compensation?" he asked with a smirk as Kiku stared at the object in his hand.

"I…"

"It was my idea~! I made him get it for you!" Alfred said, grinning. "You like it?"

Kiku stared at the iPhone in his hand. _So this is what he meant?_

"I… I… " Kiku blinked. "_Hai_, this will more than suffice."

"_Tres bien_."

"Turn it on dude~. I made it totally awesome for you." Kiku looked at the phone. He was not familiar with the iPhone; he only knew that it was an iPhone because he had seen it heavily advertised here in the United States.

"Ano…how do I so? Here, perhaps?" Kiku pressed the large button on the bottom center of the screen, but nothing happened. Alfred laughed.

"Nah, here!" Alfred took the phone and slid a button near the top, held it for a second, then showed it to Kiku. "See?" The Apple logo flashed on the screen. "I already pimped it out with some awesome apps~" The home screen appeared and, as Alfred had said, the phone already had several apps downloaded onto it. "I got you all the best ones, and, wait for it-" Alfred pressed the screen and pulled up what appeared to be contacts. There was only one name listed. "I'm the first one in your phonebook~!" Alfred handed the phone back to Kiku, grinning like a kindergartner presenting a drawing to be put on the refrigerator. As Kiku took the phone back, he felt something flip deep in his chest. He looked at the phone, then up at Francis, who, still smirking, winked at him. And then a thought came unbidden into Kiku's head as he looked at Alfred's grinning face.

_He's gay too._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the late update. DX This week was insane. Thanks so much for reading and thanks for the reviews too~! :D I love you all!

Review replies:

lady-ribbon: XD I know what movie you mean. Thanks so much~! :D

ExistentBeing : I'm glad you found it too! XD Gah, yes, Ameripan makes me so happy, and it's sad some people don't know about it's awesomeness… Aw, thanks, that's really sweet! :D

Sakura Explosion: Woot! And yes, I want Alfred as my boss… I don't like my real one. orz

Sinister Blackrose: Yay, I'm glad you like it! :D

angelsxdemons: XD The BTT will probably be involved, yes. XD

I don't think Kiku would let his phone die without trying to save it first. XD But otherwise, he would have just shut them down.

BTT is fun to write~

Shylittlebunny09: XD I'm glad you liked it~!

Paratale: :D Yay, I made you laugh~ Or at least smile, I hope.

Arthur will, I don't know about Ivan…

Yup, it drives me crazy when people write two characters instantly falling in love. XD

kiku-di epic face: Yes, I was surprised too! XD Thanks so much dear! :D

Lunarangel's Dark Flame: The torture one must put characters through for plot development… DX Oh yes, Gilbert's pretty smart when it comes to this kind of thing.

Yay, I'm glad you liked it! :D It will indeed by fluffy~ Ha, everyone picked up on that XD


	7. Chapter 7

_Or is he?_

The ever-present doubting voice in Kiku's head kept nagging. Now that Alfred had gone into his office to prepare for his meeting with the managers and Frncis had retreated to his cubicle (seemingly content that Kiku had liked the phone, but perhaps a bit bitter about having had to pay for it out of his so-called "party fund"), Kiku was left to ponder the rather sudden bit of information Francis had given him.

Was it really true? What proof had Kiku that Francis was not lying? How did he know that perhaps Francis was not playing some elaborate joke? Ordinarily, Kiku wouldn't be so harsh in his initial judgment, but Francis and his friends _had_ kidnapped him; who knew what else they had in mind?

However, he was willing to give the trio some benefit of the doubt: Antonio and Francis seemed genuine in their confessions of their own sexuality. Antonio's pursuit of Lovino seemed sincere, if a bit naïve and blunder-some, and Francis… well he hadn't been a very big surprise, truthfully.

Thus, Kiku concluded, that the three (or at least Antonio and Francis, as Gilbert had acted more like a muscle man) had told him a partial truth. This meant one of two things: the rest was also true or they were just apt liars. Either way, that left the real question: Why?

Why had they asked Kiku _that_ question and why had they, or rather, Francis, told him that Alfred was—

_Wait. Why does it even matter? Alfred-san's preferences in his spare time are his own business. I have no reason to want to know or even care. After all, it is not as if I plan on pursuing a relationship with him, is it?_

… _Right?_

…_O-of course not! Alfred-san is your superior, and you are at work. Relationships are not what you should be thinking of here! _

_Exactly. There is no reason to keep obsessing over this trivial fact. Just get back to work._

Kiku nodded to himself and turned his attention back to the task at hand, the thing secretaries are best known for: making copies.

* * *

><p>Several sheets of paper and a few punches of a stapler later, Kiku had assembled the necessary documents for the necessary documents for the 10 AM meeting, and was now on his way to the board room where he and Alfred so often lunch. He was to set up the meeting, which, by Alfred's standards, consisted of leaving the pile of packets next to a box of pens in the center of the table. Kiku, however, was a bit more detailed about how he set up meetings; he took the liberty of placing a packet and two pens (pens he made sure worked) in front of every chair that would be occupied, about 8. He left extras in the center of the table and, pleased, left.<p>

Kiku made his way back to the office. He stepped in and closed the door, then scanned his desk for anything he might have missed. Assured that he was all set, he turned his attention to Alfred's office, the door to which was oddly closed; Alfred had taken to leaving his door open more often than not. Kiku went up to the door and knocked and heard some movement, and then a panicked voice. "Um, I'll be right there!" Alfred's voice was strained, and this worried Kiku; he was usually so easy-going.

"Eto, Alfred-san, are you well?"

"I-I'm fine, don't come in yet!"

Kiku grew more concerned as he heard a bit of grunting and then a string of expletives.

"Alfred-san, what is wrong?"

Kiku heard something fall and a, "Damn it!"

He put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it. "Alfred-san, I am coming in."

"W-wait, wait, I'm not-" Kiku gave the door a slight push and it opened.

"-decent! GAH! K-Kiku!" Alfred was in the midst of pulling a shirt down over his bare torso. He had his neck and one arm through it and was now desperately trying to get his other arm through. Kiku's eyes widened and he shut the door immediately.

"_S-sumimasen_, I mean, sorry!" Kiku's cheeks flushed. _Baka, he told you not to go in!_

A minute later and the door opened. Alfred peeked out from behind, his face a bit red, most likely from his attempts to put the shirt on. "Uh, sorry about that… " Alfred said, then added, under his breath, "…I was sure I was a medium…"

"N-no, you have no need to apologize! Forgive my intrusion!" Kiku looked away, still blushing.

"It's fine, I probably shoulda locked the door." Alfred rubbed his neck. "Er, but what do you think?" Alfred stepped out from behind his door and placed one hand on his hip, the other on the door frame. "It's a bit tight, but…"

The shirt was indeed tight; it seemed as if Alfred had put a shirt that was one size too small on, but the design was quite fun. The shirt was a bright green with cheerful white lettering that proclaimed "Tax Hero!"

"Oh, and there's a back!"

Alfred turned, then twisted his neck back to see Kiku. The back was more serious. In the same font as Alfred's business cards was written "RWB Finance- for all your personal and commercial financial needs."

"It is very nice, very… joyful."

"Awesome, that's exactly what I wanted!" Alfred grinned at Kiku. "I got these for all the accountants. I'm gonna pass them out at the meeting so that my heads of staff can hand them out to all of the accountants!" Alfred fidgeted, tugging on the shirt and trying to stretch it. "But I think these sizes are a little small…"

_Very small…_ thought Kiku with a slight blush. The shirt fit Alfred closely, showing off his surprisingly thin figure. The shirt's short sleeves also revealed Alfred's lean arms. Though Alfred didn't have particularly marked muscles, his arms were toned, so it was clear that he worked out. Alfred's shoulders pulled just so at the material in a way that led Kiku's gaze down to Alfred's smooth chest and stomach. Though Alfred didn't have totally defined abdominal muscles (his stomach was just flat, with the slightest hint of a belly), he wasn't pudgy, as one would expect of someone that ate McDonald's for lunch almost every day. Alfred definitely went to the gym oft—

_St-stop looking at him like that!_ Kiku commanded himself, his cheeks warming even more as he quickly looked away. "A-are you sure you did not accidentally choose a shirt of the wrong size? That looks like a small…" Kiku's voice came out slightly croaked and he cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact.

Alfred seemed a bit wary, no doubt, Kiku chastised himself, due to the staring. "The box said 'M' on it, but I didn't check before I put the shirt on. Lemme see…" Alfred went into his office and shut the door partway. Kiku saw a flash of green and realized Alfred was taking his shirt off again. He turned away from the door and looked at his desk. Why did he feel so… nervous?

"HELL YES!" Kiku turned back to the door, where Alfred came out, wearing a shirt that fit him more appropriately. "I'm not fat!" Alfred sounded excited, then turned slight pink and looked at Kiku sheepishly. "Well, I'm not, you know… like, thin or anything either…" He looked away.

_What is he talking about? Fat?_ "Alfred-san, you are fine; certainly not fat!" Kiku tried to cheer Alfred up. He looked so vulnerable at the moment…

"You're just saying that…"

"No, of course not! I have no reason to lie to you! I mean it sincerely." Alfred brightened up a little.

"R-really?" he asked shyly.

"Yes." Kiku felt a sense of relief as Alfred's grin returned.

"You're nice, Kiku," Alfred said. "Best secretary ever~!"

Kiku blushed softly at the compliment. "You are too kind, Alfred-san. I am simply telling the truth."

"You're still awesome~!" Alfred said as he turned back into his office, apparently expecting Kiku to follow him. Kiku walked in behind him, noting a box that had fallen on the floor- the source of the sound Kiku had heard earlier. "In fact, I even got you a shirt too!" Alfred's gaze flicked up and down Kiku's body briefly and he dug through a box. "Small, right? Ah-ha!"

"But, Alfred-san, I am not an accountant…"

"I know, I got you and Mattie special shirts! See?" Alfred held out a shirt for Kiku to study. "Administrative Hero!"

** "**O-oh, I see.**" **Alfred held it to Kiku, meaning for him to grab it. Kiku took the shirt and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you…"

"No, thank _you~!_" Alfred said with a grin. "Thanks to you, my desk doesn't look like a tornado hit it, my meetings are all organized, everything's done on time… you're pretty awesome, Kiku!"

Kiku's cheeks flushed again; his facial blood vessels were getting quite a workout today. "Again, you are much too kind…."

"It's just the truth, Kiku~. Oh, oh! You should totally put your shirt on so we can model 'em for the managerial staff! Alfred said, excited.

"…if you wish for me to do so, I shall…" Kiku looked at the shirt. He didn't really like the idea of wearing a t-shirt at work, especially in the winter, but if Alfred wanted him to, who was he to say no? "I will be right back…" Kiku headed for the door.

"Oh, you don't have to change in the bathroom! Go ahead and change in my office," Alfred said brightly.

"If you are sure…"

"Yeah, go ahead!" Kiku nodded in thanks and stepped into the office. He unbuttoned his dress shirt and folded it neatly, setting it on top of one of the boxes of t-shirts. He slipped the green shirt over the white tank he had worn beneath his button-up shirt, then adjusted the hems of the sleeves, which were folded out.

_This likely seems strange… a t-shirt, trousers and loafers…_ Kiku shook his head and picked up his folded up shirt. As he did so, he saw Alfred's shirt crumpled on the ground behind Alfred's desk.

_It will wrinkle like that…. _Kiku went over and picked it up, setting his own down. He shook out Alfred's shirt, pleased to see that it hadn't had a chance to wrinkle too much yet. He buttoned it up and smoothed it out, then began to fold it. As he folded the shirt, he caught a whiff of Alfred's cologne. _Mmm… he has good taste… Wait, what am I doing?_ Blushing brightly, Kiku quickly finished folding the shirt and placed it on Alfred's chair, staring at it. Why did he keep doing these things? Staring at Alfred, smelling his clothes… Kiku shook his head. It didn't matter why- he simply had to stop!

Kiku took his shirt and left Alfred's office. Alfred was seated at Kiku's desk, doodling on a pad of sticky notes; he looked up as the door opened. "Hey Kiku! Wow, your shirt looks great! We're gonna look so snazzy at the meeting~!"

"I-is this really necessary?"

"Yup~! I wanna build team spirit and energy and stuff for when we get back from the holidays! We'll be super busy for a while."

"Oh, really?"

"Mmhm, tax season! I want us all working together, and I think t-shirts'll help!" Alfred seemed excited at the prospect. "It'll be awesome!"

"Ah… then should we make our way to the meeting? It will begin in about 15 minutes," Kiku said, glancing at his watch.

"Yeah, of course!" Alfred stood up quickly. "I'll grab the boxes!" He went into his office and stacked the boxes, then picked them up easily. "Uh, Kiku could you-"

"Would you like me to take some?" Kiku went over, ready to take a few of the boxes.

"No, I've got 'em. Could you just open the door? I kinda can't see." Alfred chuckled a bit. "Didn't really think this one through very well…"

"Of course." Kiku went ahead and held the door open for Alfred.

"Thanks~" Once Alfred had passed through, Kiku opened the next door. After that, it was only a matter of walking to the board room. Kiku walked at Alfred's side, making sure he didn't crash into any people, walls, or obstacles. As they walked, Kiku kept finding his eyes travelling down to Alfred's flexed arms, at which point he would quickly look elsewhere, only to have his gaze return.

_Stop! Staring!_

Alfred, however, didn't seem to notice Kiku's gawking. "Could you op-" Kiku hurried over to the board room door and held it open. "Thanks!" Alfred went in and dropped the boxes on the ground. "So, can you bundle these together according to this sheet?" Alfred pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. "These are the sizes for the sections of staff the managers are in charge of. I need to grab something from my office real quick."

"Of course." Kiku took the sheet and inspected it, then pulled the boxes to the back of the room and knelt down. Alfred left again and Kiku was left alone to work. He opened all the boxes and began to group the shirts he needed for each manager. It didn't take long for him to finish, and as he accomplished his task, Alfred walked back in, waving a few sheets of paper and a pair of scissors.

"Got it~! And whoa, that was fast!" Kiku stood.

"Would you like me to place the shirts on the seats, or should I wait until everyone has arrived?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, they can grab them on the way out. Uh, could you cut these out for me?" Alfred asked uncertainly. "Sorry, I keep asking you to do menial tasks…"

"It is not a problem, Alfred-san." Kiku went and took the things from Alfred. The sheets were the names of all the employees . "…what are these for?"

"We're doing a Secret Santa for the Christmas party. We're picking out our people today!"

"Secret Santa?" Kiku asked. Alfred's eyes widened.

"No way. You don't know what Secret Santa is? Dude!" Alfred seemed a bit shocked. "Uh, let's see… it's pretty much a gift exchange. We put all these names in and draw them randomly and you have to get that person a gift. No one knows who they're getting a gift from until after they open it. Then they get to guess and if they're wrong, the person just tells them. Our rules here are it's gotta be about $20 and 'work appropriate'. That's pretty much it." Alfred suddenly smiled. "So this is your first Secret Santa! Oh man, it's so much fun!"

"How wi-" At this point, the door to the office opened again and a few people began to come in.

"Whoops, er, hold that thought!" Alfred glanced at his phone. "It's already 10, I've gotta start this meeting!"

"Yes, of course." Kiku nodded and took his place in a chair off to the side here he had placed his clipboard earlier that day as Alfred took his own place at the front of the room.

"Everyone here?" Alfred took a quick count. "Yup. Okay, so we all know the holidays are right around the corner, but that doesn't mean we can just slack off, right? We've still got some stuff we need to get done before we all leave…"

Kiku, of course, took notes.

* * *

><p>"And that pretty much sums it up. So, uh, if you'll go to Kiku over there," Alfred pointed him out. ''He'll hand you your shirts. Then, if you could get everyone to meet me at the usual place in a few minutes, we'll pick out our secret Santa people! Thanks!" Kiku passed out the shirts and quickly, everyone was gone.<p>

"All done, Alfred-san. I need only to finish cutting out the names."

"Awesome! Oh, so what was your question?" Kiku was slightly surprised that Alfred had remembered, but it was a pleasant surprise.

"Ah, how do I know what to get the recipient for the secret Santa gift?"

"That's the fun part~! You just kinda… go with it. No one's allergic to anything, I think, so you should be fine to get whatever." Alfred smiled at Kiku. "And pretty much anything'll be fine. No one expects anything amazing."

Kiku finished cutting up the names. "I hope that whoever receives my gift is not disappointed then…"

"It'll be fine, I'm sure! And let's put those slips in something… er…" Alfred looked around. "we can use…"

"Perhaps this?" Kiku held up the basket usually used for trash. It was empty, as it had just been cleared the night before and no one had thrown anything away at the meeting.

"Ooh, that'll work." Alfred took the bunch of names and tossed them into the bin. "Okay, let's go~!"

Kiku followed behind Alfred, holding his clipboard to his chest. He was still confused about why he kept looking at Alfred. Yes, Alfred was indeed attractive, but Kiku had not really noticed until Francis had told him Alfred was gay… no doubt it was just curiosity, though. He nodded to himself. That was surely the cause.

"Okay everyone, let's pick~!" Alfred held the bin above his head as his employees surrounded him. "Just pass it along and grab one! If you get yourself, get another, you know how it works." He handed the bin off and waited. He turned to Kiku. "I always go last," he confided in him. "That way, if there are any extras, I pick up the slack." Kiku lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Alfred was quite generous then.

The bin went around and there were some sighs and frowns, some laughter and smiles, and some indifference as people discovered who they were buying gifts for. Eventually, the bin got to Kiku, who was the last to go before Alfred. He dug his hand in and pulled out a slip that had gotten folded while the bin was passed around. He handed the bin to Alfred and then unfolded the slip.

And then the slip was gone from his hand.

Kiku looked around in surprise and found Antonio holding two slips. "Here, this one is your slip, Kiku." Antonio held one out to him. Kiku looked at him with suspicion.

"I think not… " Kiku took the other slip out if his hand. "I do not know what you are planning," he said, his eyes narrowed, "but I will not go along with it."

Antonio shrugged. "_Cre lo que quieres~_" And he left just as suddenly as he had arrived.

Kiku looked after him, still suspicious, but also perplexed. _Why do they insist on doing strange things? _

"Hey Kiku~!" Alfred called. Kiku turned around. "Didya get your slip?"

"Yes, I did."

"Woot! Don't tell me who you got though, it's part of the secret~!" Alfred held up his own and wiggled it in his hand. "This person's gonna get something awesome~!"

"Ah. I will have to think about what I will give…" Kiku looked at his slip. Who would be receiving a gift from him this year then? He unfolded it, then stared at the paper, sure it was a joke. It was too unlikely, an impossibility….

His recipient was none other than one "Alfred F. Jones".

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

Well that took forever to update. Finals and stuff, sorry. ^^;

So… fanserviceyish chapter? XD I hope you liked it… I felt really meh about it… I feel some writer's block coming on, but I will fight it to the best of my abilities!

In the next chapter (which may be a bit late… ): CHRISTMAS PARTY~ Er, holiday party thingy, whatever.

And, I'll let you in on a little secret~:

There will be mistletoe.

D

That is all. (pfffft, I'm so cliché… but it probably won't be what you expect/wish for…)

Replies to reviews~ :D Thanks for all of your reviews guys! They make me feel all warm and fluffy inside~ :3

**Lightbeauty**: XD Kiku will miss his phone dearly, but I think he'll get along with the iPhone okay.

-bows shyly- T-thanks! :D

**Druekee:** Thanks so much! I hope it wasn't a disappointment!

**Angelsxdemons: **XD Kiku has trouble processing his own emotions. :D

Heh heh heh~ and lol, America's mistress. XD

**Random person:** Aw, thanks! I will do my best to answer. Er, from what I've read, it's just kind of "Oh, you're gay. That explains a lot…" Even though they recently legalized gay marriage, and it's pretty gay friendly/neutral in the big cities, I think in most of the US, we (as a whole, not me) still see homosexuality as a bit strange. And of course, we always have the evangelical Christians that are like "GAY IS A CHOICE AND A SIN!" But I think they're a bit more accepting, where it's not really a big deal. At least in NYC, I think. (I'm from the exact opposite side of the US, so I'm not the best person to ask XD). Uh, without giving too much away, yes, you will see their reactions. I don't want to ruin anything, so that's all I'll say about that... Thank you so much! I will do my best to continue~

**liondancer17:** Aw, thanks! I will try my best~

**Kohaku Megumi :** :D Thanks so much for all of your comment! :D I'm very glad you like it! And I'll do my best~

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame**: XD That would make for too short a fic, my dear~ XD Kiku thinks way too much though, it's quite fun to write~

I love writing Alfred~ He's way too cute XD WOOT MORE AMERIPAN. Pffft, who needs plot when it comes to these two? XD

Hope the wait was worth it!

**Shylittlebunny09:** :3 Isn't he? Haha, of course!

**kiku-di:** XD yup, cultural difference, the iPod isn't quite as popular, Walkman actually outsells the iPod in Japan. Yeah, crazy week is finally over, thank goodness. DX

**Lollypop-Otakuu:** iPhone, woot. I just want an iPod, honestly XD. Ah, yes I think so too! Ooh, France~ XD Don't we all wish he were?

**Nivell:** Aren't they? I'm glad you like it. :D

**graysam: **Thanks for doing so, I'm glad you caught it~ :D Yup yup, long story. I don't know how long yet, but I've got enough in my head to keep it going for a while. Yes, his phone… it died... for PLOT DEVELOPMENT~! x3 Thanks again!


	8. Chapter 8

Tapping his pen softly on his chin, Kiku sighed in his apartment— only two days remained until the office Christmas party; two days until he would have to present his "Secret Santa" gift for Alfred. And still, he had no idea where to begin.

_ He likes computers… and… eating…_ Kiku huffed quietly to himself. _There must be more!_

What had he found out this past week? Ever since he had pulled Alfred's name in the draw (or rather, had been forced to take it thanks to Antonio), he had attempted to discover what it was that Alfred truly liked. His subtle probing had unveiled a bit of information, which Kiku was currently attempting to recall.

_Video games, he did mention he had an Xbox…and he seems to like being outdoors, if his story about hiking along the Grand Canyon is any indication… he does have that odd obsession with aliens and outer space as well… Oh! And he did say early on that he had played baseball when he was younger…_

Kiku cocked his head to the side slightly as his thoughts wandered. He nibbled thoughtfully on his pen's cap.

_Younger… I wonder what Alfred-san looked like when he was an adolescent… only a few years ago for him…_

Kiku closed his eyes, imagining a teen Alfred.

_ Perhaps an inch or two shorter… a slightly rounder faced, not quite suited to a body that was surely awkward for him at the time… his hair that shade of dirty blonde- a different hairstyle maybe, but the same defiant cowlick, no doubt…and his shining blue eyes just as bright as they are now… and his smile…_

The corners of Kiku's mouth tilted upwards unconsciously in a smile of his own.

_The same enthusiastic, confident smile he so often displays. The kind of smile that can brighten my d-_

Kiku blinked suddenly and quickly shook his head, glad that he was alone in his apartment so that no one could see the dusting of pink slowly crawling up to color his cheeks.

_St-stop thinking such strange things! Focus. You need to get a gift for Alfred-san… Now then, what do you have so far? Computers, food, video games, outdoor activities, aliens, baseball… what else?_

He tapped the pen on the paper. _What else did he mention?_ Suddenly, Kiku recalled a recurring theme from the past few weeks. It seemed, now that he thought about it, that Alfred was constantly mentioning watching this film and that one, discoursing over who he thought the best directors were, who his favorite actors were; and, of course, being slightly disappointed that Kiku didn't know many American movies. Though, Kiku remembered, thinking quickly, Alfred had expressed an interest in watching Japanese films.

…_Mate…_ _Mochiron!_

That was it! He would get Alfred a Japanese movie. It would make a good gift: it could be used time and time again, it could be shared with many, it was something that appealed to Alfred's interests and Kiku could relate to it. Kiku smiled triumphantly. He knew what to get now! But the only question now was which one?

He thought for a bit, and then, it struck him. _Of course… there is even an American version of it, so Alfred-san can compare it to the American style. Yes, he will certainly like it!_

Kiku got up. _Yosh!_ This gift would be perfect!

* * *

><p>"<em>YO WAS GEHT AB, ALDDA<em>~?" Gilbert threw the door to the house he shared with Ludwig open. It had been decided that this year, the Christmas part would be held there, and Kiku had just arrived, wearing a plain white button-up shirt, vibrant purple tie, dark grey trousers and a complementary black jacket. _Professional, but a bit fun_, Kiku had thought as he had chosen the outfit.

Kiku flinched at Gilbert's loud outburst in German. He hugged the present he had wrapped close to his chest. "Eto, excuse me?"

"Kesesesese, just come on in!" Gilbert moved aside so that Kiku could enter. Kiku stepped in and wondered if he should remove his shoes, but a cursory glance around the room revealed that everyone still had their shoes on; his shoe would also stay on then. Gilbert closed the door behind the two of them, put his arm on Kiku's shoulder and turned to the room.

"Hey guys, _Kiku_'s here! It's a _real_ party now!" Kiku flinched once more at the man's incredibly loud voice, but noticed Francis across the room, giving Gilbert an okay sign in approval. _Why-_

"_Oui_, now that _Kiku_'s here," Francis replied loudly as if he was trying to be heard. "We can really get this party started, right, _Kiku_?" _Why are they saying my name like that?_

"Kiku!" Alfred's happy voice came from somewhere within the house and the Japanese man in question found himself instinctively looking for Alfred. Unfortunately, as he was a bit short, he couldn't very well see over the heads of many of his coworkers. Suddenly, Gilbert poked Kiku's shoulder.

"He's over there." Gilbert pointed. "And, I'll take your secret Santa gift. It's got your person's name on it, right?" Kiku nodded and handed it to him.

"Thank you very much."

"Not a problem~" Gilbert took the gift and disappeared into the crowd, heading for one of the doorways, to the room where they kept all the gifts, Kiku supposed. Kiku went off in the direction Gilbert had told him, looking left and right to find Alfred. Where was he?

_Wait… why am I seeking him out anyway? This is a party… perhaps I should be trying to interact more with the others in the office… And he is surely tired of my company anyway… we spend all day togeth-_

"Oof!" came from above Kiku's head as he walked into someone's chest. Whomever the chest belonged to put their hands on Kiku's shoulders to push him back a little and keep him from falling.

"G-gomenas- Excuse me!" Kiku stammered as he looked up to see twinkling blue eyes behind relatively clean lenses.

"No problem, Kiku~" Alfred replied, smiling, keeping his hands on Kiku's shoulder. Kiku looked at Alfred's hands, blushing slightly, both from the embarrassment of having walked into him and from the close contact. Alfred's gaze followed Kiku's and, seeing his hands, he hastily let go. "Heh, sorry! Er, you enjoying the party?" He asked, distancing himself from Kiku quickly.

"Ah… I just arrived, actually, Alfred-san." _That was strange… for Alfred-san, anyway…_

"Oh, haha, yeah, you did!" Alfred said apparently nervous (why he was, Kiku had no idea) and, for once, respected Kiku's space. Usually, he would stand _just_ within Kiku's personal boundaries- not enough to warrant Kiku speaking up, but close enough to make Kiku oh so aware of his presence- but tonight, he stayed a bit more than an arm's length away. It was odd, but Kiku didn't really mind it… did he?

"Er, wanna grab something to drink?" Alfred asked. "That's always the best way to start at a party!"

"Whatever you think is best, Alfred-san," Kiku replied, following as Alfred led the way to the kitchen. Surprisingly, despite the fact that there were several dozen people in the house, the kitchen was immaculate. Not a stray crumb or droplet of drink anywhere to be found. _How strange for a party…_

"You cool with Coke?" Alfred asked, looking over the selection of drinks. "Or do you prefer Sprite or something else?"

"I am fine with anything, thank you." Alfred shrugged and set out two cups, filling both with Coca Cola. A few drops of the brown drink spilled onto the granite countertop as he poured. Alfred didn't seem to notice, but Kiku immediately searched for a napkin or dishcloth to clean it up with, not wanting to be the cause of the only mess in the kitchen. He spotted the napkins and reached for them; then, he discovered the reason for the spotlessness: Ludwig appeared suddenly with a dishcloth and wiped the area down as Alfred picked up the cups and handed one to Kiku. "… thank you…" said Kiku, accepting the cup as he watched Ludwig. He bit back a smile as he saw this tall, muscular man bent over a counter, scrubbing with intense concentration. Had he been here all night, maintaining the kitchen?

"Ludwig~! LudwigLudiwigLudwigLudwig~!" came from the entry to the kitchen. Ludwig immediately looked up, his eyes widened, concerned. Kiku turned to see where the sound came from and saw a small Italian, innocent smile bright and beaming. Kiku and Ludwig sighed at the same time as Feliciano came bounding in and immediately began to pull on Ludwig's arm. "I'm bored! Come join the party! You don't have to clean all night!"

Ludwig sighed again. "I'm just keeping the house in a decent state. Why don't you have fun with your brother?"

Feliciano pouted. "_Fratello_ yelled at me to go away…" Suddenly, he noticed Kiku and Alfred. "Kiku~! And Mr. Alfred! _Ciao~!_"

Kiku smiled at him. "Hello, Feliciano-kun." He was rather familiar with Feliciano, seeing as the small Italian in question was never afraid to barge into the office and talk with Kiku. It had been disconcerting at first, but now he was used to him.

Alfred waved. "Hey, 'sup?" Feliciano smiled and turned back to trying to get Ludwig to leave the kitchen. "You know, Kiku and I should probably get back to the party. Have fun!" Kiku followed Alfred out of the kitchen and back to the living room.

Alfred turned to Kiku. "So~! What's 'kun'?"

"It's like 'san', but used for friends." Alfred's face fell a little, then went back to its usual grin. _What was that?_

"Oh, that's cool!" Alfred saw someone waving at him from across the room. He seemed to tense for a second, then he waved back at whoever it was as they approached, grinning cheerfully. "Hey, you haven't met Sam, have you?" A blonde woman in a red sweater came over. "Sam, this is my secretary, Kiku. Kiku, this is Sam. She's a consultant for…"

Kiku nodded along with the conversation, feigning interest in whatever Sam did, but behind his cool demeanor, his thoughts were whirring. _Why did he frown? All I did was tell him what 'kun' means. Did I do something wrong?_

"… and that's how I met Alfred," finished Sam, laughing along with Alfred. Kiku smiled politely. _What did I say? What did I do?_

"Yup~! Well, Kiku, I'll leave you to yourself now. I've gotta go talk with some people. See ya in a bit~!" And with that, Alfred was gone and Kiku was left with this "Sam" person.

"So… how's it like working for Mr. Alfred F. Jones himself?" she asked, twirling her hair around a finger.

"Eto… well, it is an experience," Kiku replied, still wondering why Alfred had left.

"Hmm, I bet you steal all the attention from him, don't you?" Sam asked, raising her cup to her lips.

"…What do you mean?"

"Well, you're just so cute!" Sam smiled, winking at Kiku. Kiku frowned, confused.

"Thank you?"

"Ha, seriously though, he's probably jealous~ Say, I bet you don't get many blondes over in Japan, do you?"

"Well… not natural blondes?" Kiku was confused- where was this going?

Sam giggled quietly. "I didn't think so~ Well, what do you say to grabbing some cof-"

"Kiku~! There you are!" Elizaveta came up from behind Kiku and put a hand on his shoulder protectively. Kiku felt relieved for some reason. In the short time he had been at RWB, he had made a few friends, Elizaveta being one of the few he had the most in common with. And, though he hadn't told her about his preference for men, he felt comfortable around her. Sometimes, he thought she might already know, but if she did, she didn't bring it up.

"Elizaveta-san, hello." Elizaveta smiled at Kiku, then glared at Sam as she spoke next.

"I'm going to have to steal Kiku from you, sorry~" Elizaveta pulled Kiku away before Sam had a proper chance to respond. "Kiku, stay away from that woman," Eliaveta whispered to Kiku as they walked. "She's kind of a major slut... I think she's done like every guy in the office…"

"Eto… but she seems to be friends with Alfred-san… I did not think he would assoc-"

"He's been trying to get rid of her for months."

Kiku frowned and looked back at Sam, who was now chatting up another man, smiling and laughing. "Then why did he introduce me to her?"

"Because Alfred sucks at knowing how to deal with women like that," Elizaveta said simply, steering Kiku up a flight of stairs and to a railing where it was possible to see everyone. "Once she saw him, the only thing on his mind was to get away. Watch."

Kiku looked over the railing and searched around, quickly finding the mess of dirty blonde hair he knew so well.

Alfred was conversing with two men and another woman, this one a brunette. "She's been after Alfred for months now," whispered Elizaveta. "Not that she has a chance…" Kiku watched as Alfred fidgeted slightly when the woman touched him on the arm, laughing. He seemed to be trying to ignore the woman, talking mainly to the two men and subtly scooting away whenever the woman tried to get closer to him. Kiku raised an eyebrow. Alfred was acting very differently from his usual manner.

The woman made another joke and laughed again, giggling much louder than necessary. Alfred laughed along briefly then casually said something to the three and walked off. As he left, the grin on his face turned into a wary glance, and then a searching gaze. His eyes travelled around the room and passed briefly over where Kiku and Elizaveta were.

"Crap!" Elizaveta grabbed Kiku and pulled him away from the railing, forcing him to duck.

Alfred glanced back at where they had just been standing and stared at the spot for a moment, then sighed and kept looking around. He disappeared under a doorway and Elizaveta sighed with relief.

"Perfect, he didn't see us!"

"See who~?" came from behind the pair crouching on the ground. Kiku and Elizaveta turned at the same time to see Gilbert looming over them. "Spying, are we?"Elizaveta scowled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here, duh. Who were you spying on?" Gilbert asked, looking at Kiku. "Hmm, wouldn't be Alfred, would it?" Kiku opened his mouth to reply, but Elizaveta beat him to it, standing up to confront Gilbert.

"None of your business!"

"Hon hon, don't tell me _mon petite_ Kiku is spying on Alfred? And dear Elizaveta is helping?" Francis came up next to Gilbert. "How intriguing…"

"W-we were not spying!" Kiku said, embarrassed that he had been caught.

"Don't lie to us, Kiku~" Francis said. "I have my ways of finding things out~. Speaking of which, Elizaveta, would you help me with something?"

Elizaveta glared. "I already told you that I'm not asking Roderich if he-"

"Not that! It's something more immediate, something… " Francis eyed Kiku, who was watching the exchange closely. "Cute."

Elizaveta watched Francis suspiciously. "What are you planning?"

Gilbert chuckled quietly. "We're not gonna tell you with Kiku sitting right there."

Francis nodded in agreement. "Yes, this stays between us. And Antonio… wherever he may be."

Elizaveta frowned. "Why can't you tell me with Kiku here?"

Francis leaned over and whispered in her ear, his smile growing more pronounced as he spoke. Elizaveta's eyes widened and she glanced over at Kiku, her eyes twinkling. "Kiku, would you be a dear and get me something to drink? Please?"

Kiku stood up. "If you wish…"

Elizaveta smiled at him and waited for him to leave. With a sigh, Kiku went down the flight of stairs and made his way back to the kitchen.

_Why is everyone acting so strangely?_

* * *

><p>Kiku was now in possession of two red plastic cups. He had lost Elizaveta after he had gone to get her the drink and now he was walking about aimlessly, half-heartedly looking for her. <em>Today is a strange day…<em> he thought. _Alfred-san is acting oddly, Elizaveta is conspiring with Francis and Gilbert…_

"SECRET SANTA TIME EVERYONE!" Kiku was jolted from his thoughts.

Kiku turned along with everyone else to see Gilbert (of course) standing on top of an end table. Ludwig's groan could be heard from the kitchen.

"Let's get this started!" Gilbert plucked a gift from the pile of presents on the couch next to him. Kiku looked at the pile. _This would take quite a while…_

And take a while it did. Present after present was opened and it seemed everyone was content with their gifts. Feliciano seemed ecstatic to receive a "Recipes From Around The World" book, Lovino a soccer ball, Francis a set of wine glasses, Ludwig a new office set. Gilbert seemed excited about a stamp he got that said "AWESOME". Finally, came Kiku's turn. Gilbert held up the gift, a box wrapped in blue paper.

"Kiku, it's for you~!" Kiku went up and opened it carefully. He took the lid off the box and looked in to find it…

…stuffed with Japanese foodstuffs. A jar of umeboshi, bottles of sauce, packages of sweets. Kiku felt his throat tighten a little. He had had no idea how homesick he was until he saw these items so familiar to him, but so foreign to the environment.

"So~? Who do you think it was?" Gilbert asked. Kiku simply shook his head, too touched to speak. "'Kay, who's his Santa? 'Fess up!"

"Me~!" Alfred stepped forward, grinning. "D'ya like it, Keeks?"

Kiku swallowed and smiled. "Yes, very much. Thank you." _How thoughtful…_

Gilbert smirked and picked up another gift. "Hey Alfred, while you're up here, here's your gift." He tossed the narrow package at Alfred, who caught it easily and ripped the paper off.

"Ha, this is an easy one. Kiku!" Alfred waved the DVD he had gotten, which was a simple black with white Japanese lettering on it. "Thanks dude!"

"You are most welcome." Kiku smiled up at Alfred, holding the box close to his chest. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will, I love movies!"

The two smiled at each other until Gilbert cleared his throat. "'Kay guys, move it along, we've still got a huge pile here!" The two quickly made their way out of the front and to the back of the room. Kiku, overcome with feelings of happiness, homesickness, joy and elation, kept looking at Alfred gratefully. How had he known what to buy?

"So~ you like the gift, right?" Alfred asked once the two were no longer surrounded by people. The two set their gifts down on the ground.

"Yes, Alfred-san, very, very much. Thank you again!" Kiku couldn't keep himself from smiling. "I genuinely appreciate it."

Alfred grinned, then looked at Kiku a bit sheepishly. "So… does that mean we're friends?"

"…of course, Alfred-san! You did not need to give me a gift to say that."

"…then… will you call me 'kun' like you do Feliciano?" Alfred asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

Kiku was caught off guard. "…but… you are my superior. That would be inappropriate…"

Alfred frowned. "But you just said I'm your friend."

"Well, yes, but you are also my boss, Alfred-san." Alfred sighed and crossed his arms.

"Can't we be friends first tho-"

Suddenly, Kiku felt himself stumble backwards and fall into someone. "Whoa, Kiku, you okay?" Alfred took a step forward. Behind him, Elizaveta, the one who had pushed, shrugged apologetically at Kiku, who looked up to see Francis had caught him.

"Kiku, what a completely unexpected surprise!" Francis said. _Of course it was…_ "And, oh, also entirely unforeseen, we just happen to be under some mistletoe~! What a totally unanticipated incident!"

Kiku stood up and stepped away from Francis. "Mistle…toe?"

Alfred looked up as Kiku spoke, looking at a little branch of leaves and berries, then glared at Francis. "No way, Francis."

"But Alfred~, it's tradition!"

"Excuse me, but what is?" Kiku asked, looking at both parties for an explanation.

Francis answered first. "Well, _mon_ Kiku, here in the west, when two people are under mistletoe, they have to kiss. It is a Christmas tradition; and guess where you're standing." Kiku looked up at the little branch, which was directly above him.

"I… have to… kiss you?" Kiku felt himself turn pink. _No. Nonononononono._

"Or Alfred, since technically, the two of us are 'under' it with you."

Alfred turned a little pink himself at this. "You don't have to do it Kiku. We're all guys, so-"

"Honhonhon, I wouldn't mind, Kiku~!" Francis smiled at Kiku and closed the space between them. "One quick little kiss never hurt anyone, _non_?"

Kiku turned bright red. "I would prefer not to, thank you!" Francis reached an arm around Kiku.

"Come on, Kiku~ Just close your eyes and-"

"Get off of him Francis!" Alfred glared at Francis menacingly.

"Not unless you agree to kiss him instead. Either I do it or you do~" Kiku stared at the two of them, his eyes wide._ What kind of tradition is this?_

"Francis!"

"I guess I'll have him all to myself~!" Francis leaned forward, pulling Kiku's chin towards him a bit. Kiku shut his eyes and put his hands on Francis' chest, pushing him away. Francis stumbled a little, but was stepping forward when Alfred put his arm between the two.

Alfred glared at Francis, then looked at Kiku, his gaze softening. "Kiku, I don't think you want him to practically mouth rape you…" His gaze hardened again as he looked at Francis. "On the cheek counts?"

Francis rolled his eyes. "If you want to be boring… French is better~." He winked at Kiku.

Alfred rolled his eyes, then turned back to Kiku, his cheeks a bit pink. "Sorry about this Kiku. I know it's awkward, since we're both guys, but it's better than letting him-" he pointed his thumb at Francis. "-do what he wants."

Kiku simply stared, unable to really understand what was happening. Why did these things keep happening to him?

"So… I'm sorry." Alfred gently turned Kiku's head to the side and bent down, looking embarrassed. Kiku closed his eyes tightly and felt as Alfred placed a quick, soft peck on his warm cheek, then let go. Kiku could have sworn he heard a soft "Squee!" from behind him.

"Happy now?" Alfred asked Francis as he stepped away. Kiku opened his eyes and saw that Alfred's cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Not particularly," Francis said; however, he smiled at Kiku as he said this, a victorious gleam in his eyes.

Alfred looked away from him, looked at Kiku quickly, then turned and picked up the DVD Kiku had given him. He looked at his watch. "It's getting late… I'm leaving now." He turned back and glanced at Kiku briefly, then looked away again. "Kiku, if I were you, I'd get out from under that mistletoe before Francis tries it again." Kiku looked up, then quickly moved away.

"Alfred-san…" Kiku said, letting the words hang in the air, not really knowing what he was going to say.

"I'll see you all next year then. Happy new year!" Alfred gave a half-hearted grin and wave, then turned and left, disappearing into the crowd (that apparently had not noticed a thing) for the last time that evening. Kiku, Francis and Elizaveta stood in silence for a moment, then…

"Well that went well!" Francis said cheerfully. "Didn't it, Kiku?"

Kiku ignored Francis and went to pick up his gift. He looked inside the box again then back at the mistletoe, his cheeks still a little pink.

_Thank you for the gift, Alfred…kun._

* * *

><p>It's still technically Christmas in my time zone, so this isn't late!<p>

… I'm sorry, I suck. DX I had a SERIOUS case of writer's block. Just horrible.

Anyway, here you go? Ameripan fluffy goodness, I hope. :D

You'll find out what movie Kiku gave Alfred soon, btw. D

Gilbert said "Yo, what's up dude!" Everything else is pretty self explanatory?

Review Replies:

Angel-chan Desu : Why thank you! :D Er, Kiku got Gilbert, actually. ^^ (I'm a fan of Prupan as well). Yes, girls work in the office, and holy crap, cute idea, I will definitely use it~ :D ;D You like?

Shylittlebunny09: Gah, yeah it's pretty bad right now. Well, he sort of daydreams about him in this chapter. ^^

angelsxdemons : Did you like what happened? And yes, eue Antonio did~!

Lollypop-Otakuu: ouo Eres de España? :D Yo no, soy Americana, pero mis papas son de Mexico.

ExistentBeing: :D BTT and Hungary now XD

Goodluckmother: It's fine and thanks so much! :D And maybe, I'm toying with an idea right now that may involve Russia.

liondancer17 : Thanks so much! :D Hee hee, it's fun to write~

Falling Star of Light and Dark: Thanks so much! You know what's funny? My friend gave me a real America plushie… :D –places it next to the Japan-

Nyahaha: yay, laughs are good~. Antonio is quite the ninja. XD Nothing terrible, I think… yet. Aw, I love you too~!

Lunarangel's Dark Flame: :D Thanks so much! I hope this was worth the wait too!

kiku-dii: Oh definitely! He just doesn't know it yet D

Druekee: Why thank you! :D I hope it was worth the wait!


	9. Chapter 9

Though he didn't usually snack at work, Kiku had forgotten his breakfast this morning, and thus, he guiltily nibbled on the end of a stick of Pocky as he typed away on his computer. He would make sure, he promised himself, to clean up any mess he made before he left.

As he ate, his stomach growling in protest of Kiku's maltreatment of it, Kiku mentally chastised himself. _This is why you do not stay up watching anime on your computer until 2 in the morning!_ The Pocky was not in any way nutritious and would probably end up making him hungrier in the long run. Kiku sighed. At least Alfred's gift wasn't sitting around unused in a cabinet.

The door to Alfred's office opened suddenly and Kiku glanced over to see Alfred peek out. "Hey Kiku~! Ooh, whatcha eating?" Alfred came around to the opposite side of Kiku's desk and bent over it, resting his elbows on the desk as he looked up at Kiku.

"Pocky, from the box you gave me."

"Oh! So that's what they look like!" Alfred grinned. "Can I have a bite?"

"Of course." Kiku held out the box. Alfred took one, looked at it for a bit, then bit it.

"Yummy~! This is strawberry, right?" he asked, finishing it quickly.

"Yes. _Ichigo_, in Japanese. Would you like some more?" Kiku asked as he began a new stick.

"I would indeed~" Alfred said. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he leaned forward and bit the other end of Kiku's Pocky. Kiku's eyes widened.

_What is he do-_

Alfred winked and began to nibble at the Pocky, getting closer and closer to Kiku, his blue eyes twinkling. Kiku felt his cheeks flush hot. He jerked away suddenly and the Pocky broke. "A-Alfred-kun, wh-what are you-"

Alfred cupped a hand around Kiku's cheek. "Aw… you broke it…" Alfred brought his face closer to Kiku, their noses almost touching. "But, luckily, I saved the best part for last."

Kiku's eyes widened once more as Alfred turned his head slightly, his lips parted just a bit. Alfred's eyes closed partway, his long eyelashes veiling deep blue, and Kiku felt his own eyes close slowly as he leaned forward, relaxing his mouth, his heart beating rapidly, his thoughts whirring, his breath shallow, their lips about to close the gap of a few millimeters—

Kiku gasped. He opened his eyes and daylight streamed in, blinding him for a second. He brought a hand up from his chest, where his heart was pounding, to his cheeks. They were burning.

Kiku rolled over in his futon, pulling his sheets up to his chin.

…_Wh-what was that?_

He closed his eyes, recalling the dream.

_Did I just… _Alfred's grin as he bit on the Pocky came into his mind. Kiku opened his eyes and felt blood rush into his already warm cheeks. He shut his eyes tightly again.

_No, no, no, it was a dream. A dream, a dream, a dream!_

_ But why?_ Kiku pinched his nose as he sat up in the futon. _Why would I dream that? It couldn't be that… that I lik- No, no, no, it is surely because of that night!_ He nodded to himself. _Yes, it was so strange and out of place that the idea stayed in my mind! _Kiku's thoughts unwillingly returned to the night of the Christmas party, when Alfred had kissed him on the cheek. His own panicky thoughts, Alfred's blushing cheeks, the feel of Alfred's lips on his che-

_D-do not linger on that! It was because of Francis, that is all. Alfred-ku-SAN, SAN, acted to prevent Francis from being treac-_ Kiku's thoughts were interrupted by a very catchy song with a strong bass and very techno-influenced beats.

"_I'm bringing sexy back/Them other boys don't know how to_-"

_Alfred-san's ringtone? _Kiku thought as he reached for his phone, rubbing his eyes. Alfred had designated his own ringtone on Kiku's phone back when he had put his number in and Kiku, though he thought it was likely in jest, had left it.

_Wh-why would he call me right now?_ Kiku thought nervously. _Just as I had that dream… These things keep happening!_ "M-moshi mosh- I mean, hello?"

"H-hi Kiku." _Matthew-san?_

"Matthew-san, this is rather unexpected. Is everything well?"

Matthew laughed nervously. "Not exactly… I was kind of hoping you could come over to Alfred's place and help me calm him down. He's had a bit of a… well… episode?" Kiku's heart dropped. What had happened? "It's nothing too bad though, don't worry. This kind of thing happens a lot and it's really more of an overreaction than anything serious."

"What exactly happened?"

"It's a bit of a long story, so bear with me. I went to visit Alfred this morning and when I got there, his TV was outside."

_Nani?_

"I let myself in and I saw that he had covered anything that had a screen on it and had unplugged his wall phone. I called out his name, but he didn't answer, so I went to his room and I saw someone hiding under the sheets on his bed."

_What happened?_

"I peeled back the sheets and he jumped up and yelled and began to throw these grey alien plush things at me, telling me he didn't want to go in the well with me, so I ducked behind the door and waited for him to stop." Matthew chuckled nervously again. "That took a while but when I finally was able to go inside, he was hiding under the sheets again, hugging his pillow and he kept saying 'Ring Ring. Ring.' And 'Kiku, Kiku, Kiku.'"

Kiku smacked his forehead._ Watashi wa baka desu yo!_ "He… does not like scary movies, does he?"

"Not at all. Alfred's afraid of pictures of fake ghosts; horror movies just… yeah, no. I couldn't even get him to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas. But what does that have to do with this?"

"… I do not think he wants to see me then, Matthew-san. I gave him a movie, Ringu, the Japanese precursor to The Ring… I believe that is the cause of this 'episode'. I have no doubt I am the last person he wishes to see." Kiku held his forehead. Why had he not consulted Matthew before buying the gift?

"Please, Kiku? He always seems happier around you- I can never get him to smile like you do, and I'm his brother! I think it'd be best for him if you came by. Please?"

_This is a bad idea… but…_ "Then… I will be right over."

Matthew sighed in relief. "Thanks so much Kiku! I'll text you the address."

The two hung up and Kiku shook his head.

_What did I do this time?_

* * *

><p>Kiku looked down at the information on his iPhone's screen again. Yes, this was it, Alfred's home: a loft in one of the more exclusive apartments in New York City. Matthew had told him to come on up, since he was afraid to leave Alfred alone, and now Kiku was standing in front of the door.<p>

_What if he is afraid of me? If he thinks I gave him the movie with bad intentions? Or if things are awkward between us after the party? Wait, why would anything be awkward? All he did was kiss me on the cheek! However, I did have that dream… but he does not know about that! And that is not even important at the moment, Alfred-san needs help!_

Kiku swallowed and knocked on the door.

"Kiku, thank goodness you're here! Alfred won't come out of his room," Matthew said as he opened the door. "Please, come in." Kiku went inside and noticed, first of all, that Matthew had taken in Alfred's TV and that, as Matthew had said, everything with a screen was covered with a sheet. "I'll take you to his room. Watch out though, he may be a bit… defensive."

Kiku nodded and Matthew knocked on the door and opened it slowly. "Alfred, Ki-"

"NOOOOOOOO! GO AWAY!" There was a thud and Kiku looked down to see one of the alien plushies Matthew had talked about fall to the ground.

"This is worse than I thought… I will go in." Kiku opened the door and ducked as another alien plushie flew at him. _He really must have played baseball…_Kiku thought as the plush hit the wall behind him, smacking hard. _A pitcher, perhaps?_

"GO AWAY, I DON'T WANNA GO IN THE WELL!" Alfred chucked another plush (_where is he getting them from?) _and Kiku dodged again.

"Alfred-san, no one is taking you into a well." Alfred turned from his corner, where he was cuddled into blankets, wearing long blue pajamas with planets, stars and rocket ships all over them.

"K-Kiku!" Alfred looked shocked.

_He is afraid of me… oh no…_

"KIKU!" Alfred scrambled over to Kiku and hugged his legs tightly. "KikuKikuKikuKiku!"

The Japanese man in question struggled to stay standing. "Alfred-san, it is ok-"

"Kiku! The video! And then the phone! And the TV and the ladder and the chair and the mirror and the girl AND THE WELL, OH MY GOD THE WELL!" Alfred hugged Kiku's legs more tightly.

"_Daijobou, _Alfred-san," Kiku said calmly. Usually, he would attempt to extract himself from anyone who hugged him like that (the very thought of allowing such an embrace in public!) but Alfred was clearly scared. Kiku crouched down and soothingly stroked Alfred's hair. "No one will pull you into a well… _maa-maa, maa-maa_."

"Kiku, Kiku, it was so scary! The phone rang and, and, and the TV buzzed and I thought the girl was going to come out and-"

"Alfred-san, do not worry, she is not real… besides, in the sequel, they plug up the well."

"Oh, good… WAIT THERE'S A SEQUEL?"

"It is a trilogy, actually…" Alfred's eyes widened.

"So she comes back?"

"No, no, it is a… happy ending," Kiku lied with a hopefully calming smile. Alfred looked up at Kiku, unconvinced, his eyes still shining in fear. "You will be fine, Alfred-san…" He kept petting Alfred's head. "Here…" He pulled out a few pieces of barrel shaped candy. "You like root beer, ne?" He put a few in Alfred's hand.

"…yeah…" Alfred took one of the candies and unwrapped it, then stuck it in his mouth. He sucked on it silently, then let go of Kiku's legs and hugged his own knees, looking at his feet. Kiku joined him on the ground and watched him silently, knowing that Alfred would speak when he was ready.

"…I'm sorry, Kiku," Alfred mumbled. "I'm being silly… you shouldn't have had to come out here on your day off just to che-"

"Alfred-san, this was my fault. I should have made sure the movie was approp-"

"I was the one that watched it! I should have just stop-"

"I should have warne-"

"Kiku. Don't blame yourself. I should be an adult about these things. I mean, seriously." Alfred turned away. "What kind of grown man can't watch a horror movie without freaking out?" Alfred looked at Kiku briefly, then away again. "I'm such a child…"

"No, no, no, Alfred-san!" Kiku said immediately. "You may be… light-hearted and childish _at_ _times_, but it is all a part of your charm!"

"…Charm?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Kiku nodded emphatically. "You are very charming, Alfred-san, and your personality is wonderfully well rounded. You are fine as you are, irrational fear of horror movies and all." Alfred continued looking elsewhere.

_Look at me, look at me,_ Kiku pleaded mentally. He hated seeing Alfred lose his confidence.

"…thanks Kiku," Alfred said, finally meeting Kiku's eyes. "You're the best, you know that?" He smiled at him, then leaned his head on Kiku's shoulder. Kiku smiled back and continued to stroke Alfred's head before he realized what he was doing.

He froze. _What am I doing?_ Alfred shifted below him, noticing that Kiku had gone stiff. Alfred quickly sat up straight and looked away with a slight blush on his cheeks, clearly trying to hide it from Kiku, who was sporting the same look himself.

"Th-thanks for coming over Kiku," he said, standing up. He held his hand out to help Kiku stand up. "I'm sorry you had to come over on your days off…" Kiku took his hand and stood up.

"It is not a problem, Alfred-san. Are you sure you are okay now?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine… Wanna stay for some coffee?" Alfred looked at Kiku, who was dressed in rather fashionable clothing, if he said so himself, then down at himself, with his cozy pajamas. "Well… after I change into real clothes." Kiku was about to decline, but he honestly didn't feel as if Alfred had actually gotten over his fear that quickly.

"I would love to, if it is not imposing."

"Nah, dude, it'd be great!"

"Then I'll go put some coffee on…" came a voice from the door. Kiku turned surprised; he had forgotten about Matthew.

"Oh, bro, forgot you were here! Thanks man!" Alfred smiled at Matthew. "And thanks for bringing Kiku over too." Matthew smiled and left.

"I will help Matthew-san," Kiku said with a shallow bow and followed Matthew.

As Kiku helped Matthew make the coffee and straighten up the mess Alfred had made during his panic attack, Matthew turned to Kiku with a small smile.

"You're good for him..." Kiku was taken aback.

"P-pardon?"

Matthew continued to smile. "You're good for Alfred, Kiku. Thanks..." The coffee maker beeped. "I'll be right back!" Matthew left and Kiku stared at the sheet he had removed from Alfred's desktop computer in his hand. _I… am good for him?_

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Kiku was still in Alfred's apartment. When he had been about to leave, Alfred had made an expression so tragically afraid and sad that Kiku was unable to actually go. Matthew, however, had already left, as he had earlier plans with someone. Now, the two were playing video games in front of Alfred's large screen television (Kiku had managed to distract him from his fear that the girl from the well would crawl out).<p>

"DAMMIT KIKU, HOW THE HELL DO YOU KEEP WINNING?" Alfred asked as Marth filled the TV screen for the umpteenth time and spoke in Japanese. Captain Falcon clapped indifferently in the background.

Kiku struggled to keep from smirking. "If you continue to leave yourself open by focusing on powerful, slow moves, I will continue to exploit your poor defenses."

"Fffu- rematch!" Alfred said, choosing Mario this time. "There's no way you'll beat me as Mario!"

"If you wish." Kiku selected Kirby this time.

"Kirby?" Alfred asked as the game loaded the next battle.

"Yes." The game's announcer counted down. "I wish you luck. You will need it," Kiku said, confident in his abilities.

"Oh, you're so going down!" Alfred said, holding his Gamecube remote close.

"Mmm." Kiku's grip on his Wii remote and Nunchuck tightened and the game began.

8 minutes later and the match had ended.

"…_Kuso_." This time, Alfred celebrated.

"FINALLY. What was that, like 10 matches before I finally won? You're good at this Kiku!"

Kiku gave a small smile. "Thank you… you are rather apt yourself, the only real challenge I have faced in a long time." Alfred grinned.

"Oh, oh!" Alfred exclaimed and jumped up and grabbed a different game. "This one will be fun."

Kiku looked at his watch and sighed. It was getting late and he felt a bit awkward staying over at Alfred's house for so long, especially as Alfred was his superior. "I really ought to g-" He noticed the case and Alfred grinned.

"DDR."

"… Well then." Alfred smirked.

"Betcha got some moves under that serious expression you've always got on~!"

"… perhaps…"

"Well then, let's play~!"

_DDR with my boss, at his home. Really?...but then… I never back down from a challenge._

"Very well then." Kiku stood up from Alfred's couch. "But I warn you now, this game is my specialty."

"Heh heh, you are so on, Kiku~!" Alfred ejected the game and the screen went blank, emitting a hissing static noise. Alfred jumped towards Kiku, hugging him. "Aw, shit! Shit-shit-shit!" He hid his face behind Kiku. "Get it away, get it away!"

Kiku quickly turned off the television with his remote. "It is okay, Alfred-san…" He patted Alfred on the back. _I can not believe I caused this…_

Alfred looked up sheepishly. "S-sorry." He looked embarrassed, his cheeks a slight pink on his otherwise pale face. "Dammit, I keep doing this…" He stepped away from the hug. "I'm a hassle Kiku, I'm sorry…"

"Do not worry, Alfred-san… why do we not play, ne?" Kiku asked, trying to distract Alfred once more. "You stand even less of a chance if you do not concentrate!" he said, trying to appeal to Alfred's competitive nature.

"I dunno Kiku, I've kept you long enough… you probably want to-" The game began playing music and Alfred brightened up as he saw Kiku take his position on his mat.

"Is 'Expert' suitable, or should we play on 'Beginner'?" asked Kiku, continuing his appeal to Alfred's more ambitious side.

"Getting cocky, are we Kiku?" asked Alfred with a grin. "Expert's fine by me~!"

Kiku simply smiled. "I hope you are not one to hold grudges, Alfred-san."

Alfred laughed. "Ha ha ha, Kiku! Let's see who's holding grudges after this!"

* * *

><p>"Oh… my… god.. Kiku…" Alfred said between pants, moving as fast as he could to keep up with the song. "I've never seen you like this!"<p>

Kiku's face was stern, as usual, but his forehead had a thin curtain of sweat glistening on it, his hair sticking to his skin in places. Without breaking his rhythm, Kiku replied, "I am rarely this serious, Alfred-san."

"I can see that... Okay…" Alfred slumped and stopped. "I'm done." Kiku watched as Alfred plopped onto the couch. He stepped off the mat and sat next to him after turning off the game.

"Thank goodness, I was getting tired myself..."

Alfred smiled tiredly as he used the remote to flip through channels. "Kiku, you are fun to have around… thanks a lot for coming over."

"_Douitashimashite, _Alfred-san. But, I still wish to apologize for my poor-"

Alfred cut him off. "Kiku, as your boss, I order you to stop blaming yourself and to never mention that movie again." Alfred gave Kiku a stern look.

"… yes…sir?" _A strange demand, but who am I to disobey orders?_ Kiku thought, slightly confused.

"Good." Alfred smiled at Kiku. "And as your friend, I tell you that you're pretty fricking awesome." Alfred gave Kiku a light punch on the shoulder. "Thanks dude. Seriously." Kiku smiled back at Alfred. "Now then, what say you we introduce you to REAL films?" A dramatic fanfare began playing and Kiku saw the screen fill with yellow letters.

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…" Kiku read aloud.

"Yup," Alfred said with a happy sigh. "Star Wars, the original trilogy."

"Ah, I have heard of this one," Kiku commented. "Darth Vader, ne?"

Alfred grinned. "Hell yes, dude. This movie's great, just watch!"

Kiku nodded and watched. It really was getting late, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Alfred alone for the night when he had had such a big scare, _and_ _besides_, he admitted hesitantly, _I am rather… enjoying myself._ He glanced over at Alfred, who was watching the screen with big eyes. _Yes… I think I will stay…_

* * *

><p>Kiku felt someone touch his shoulder and he immediately grabbed the person's wrist, blinking awake quickly. It was dark and he wasn't sure where he was. He looked at the hand's owner. Matthew.<p>

"Oh… sorry, Matthew-san," Kiku whispered as he let go. Right, he was at Alfred's home.

"It's okay," said Matthew with a small smile. "Sorry I woke you up, but I just got back. I decided to check on Alfred, since I'd assumed you'd already left, and he might be freaking out still, but…" Matthew looked over to Kiku's right, and Kiku followed his gaze. Alfred was asleep, his head resting on his hands, lying a few inches away from Kiku's lap, his legs hanging off the arm rest of the couch. Kiku smiled. _How cute… Wait, what?_

"Ah… well…"

"Thanks so much, Kiku. I can take it from here." Matthew grabbed Alfred's arm and began pulling him up with a grunt.

"Would you li-"

"Nah, it's fine, I do this all the time. You're welcome to stay the night, if you want. I'm sure Alfred won't mind."

"No thank you, I must be getting back. Therefore… I will see you at work?" Kiku asked, standing up slowly.

"Yeah, if you're sure, see you then! And happy new year, Kiku. Thanks again, so much, for giving up your day."

"Do not mention it… and… happy new year?" Kiku looked at his watch. 1 AM. He had spent all of New Year's Eve with Alfred.

"Yeah." Matthew smiled again. "Are you okay getting home? It might be crowded right now. If you want, I can give you a ride in a bit."

"No, no, it is fine," Kiku told him. "Then… good night." He headed for the door.

"Night." Matthew tugged on Alfred's arm and Kiku left, closing the door quietly.

As he walked out of the building, seeing all the people left over from their New Year's celebrations, Kiku reflected on his day and came to a semi-surprising conclusion.

_I would not have wished to begin the new year any other way._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Sorry for the late chappy…. Massively horrible Writer's block Dx… -excuses excuses-I'm not very happy with this chapter, but it's not going to get any better with me glaring at the screen for hours, so I posted it.

Yeah, that opening… fun as hell to write. That is all I have to say about that. XD

OKAY. Many of you are asking about our dear, most beloved Brit, Arthur. All I can say is: please be patient. ^^; He will be quite important, but I need to do some other stuff with this story before he comes in. (I've had this all planned for a while, so no worries, he WILL be in here).

**IrisTheFlower **: Aw, thank you~! I hope he continues to make you want to hug him XD

Thanks sweetie~

**lightwolf865**: Thanks so much~~~! :D

lol XD

**sappire495**: Thanks, I hope the wait was worth it.

**Shylittlebunny09**: ^^ Thanks! I think this chapter is more what you meant about the daydreaming, ne? XD

**Lightbeauty:** Bubbles of joy, huh? XD That's an adorable image! Aw, really? Thanks so much! I will dear!

**Angel-chan Desu**: Oh yes, definitely will have more schemes. Gah, they are so fun to write. XD Yup, yup, Elizaveta definitely wants to help Kiku, but what better way to help her and him both than to pair him up with Alfred? XD

Yup~. ^^

Yes, she's an OC, but not for the Hetalia universe, just for the sake of character development/plot. XD

Heh heh heh, how was this chappy then? XD

He will be in here, trust me. ^^

**lady-ribbon:** Heh, these are the kinds of chapters you get out of me when I'm stuck and when I think "SCREW REALITY, I WANT FLUFF!". Aw, thank you! :D

XD They are all incredibly insane indeed.

Antonio~~~ :D

You likey the ending? D

**BlueMoon:** XD –revives with more fluff-

Ooh, another converted one~ XD It's not my goal to convert people, but hey I can take it as a compliment, ne? XD

Aw, thank you so much! That means a lot! :D (… but they should make out anyway. D)

Yeah… still technically haven't kissed. ^^ But they will~ eventually!

Thanks, I'll update as often as I can!

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame:** Woot~! I still feel bad about that… XD Well, Elizaveta will bring some sanity into the plans, but yeah, it can't be all that good… ^^ Oh yes, the office slut… I need her though! XD I think Francis deserves an Oscar for his performance, actually. Pffffft, that was my favorite line to write! XD I think he would totally say something like that. XD And thanks, I will strive to update as much as I can!

**Lollypop-Otakuu:** Si~ Oo, de Barcelona? :D Como tengo ganas de ir~~~! (Quiero que Mexico este en Hetalia tambien~) Yup, their first kiss~ XD Ah, yo escribo en Ingles y Español igualmente, pero tengo major vocabulario en Ingles. Puedes escribir en español si prefieres! :D

Ja ne!

**Angelsxdemons:** Yes on the cheek! XD It would be a little awkward, yeah XD (I know exactly what you mean… damn it Alfie, just kiss him already! XD)

You are spot on, my dear~ ;D But I get to drag on the awkwardness for a while~

**InSanityStorm:** ^^ I'm glad you think so~!

Ha, Francis is so fun to write~

Thank you, I'll keep updating as much as I can, and likewise!

**kiku-dii:** XD yup, just the cheek so far~

Oh, so, so, SO close! ^^

**xIkuna:** ^^ Hee hee, I try~

He will come in, soonish, and no, he won't be Al's dad though. (I did consider it, but no, I have more… fun ideas for him ;D)

**ExistentBeing:** Why thank you~! I hope this chappy was worth the wait!


	10. Chapter 10

Kiku looked at his watch as he went up the elevator with a bag of McDonald's in his hand. Three o' clock on a Friday afternoon already, and he knew for a fact that Alfred had yet to eat anything. Ever since tax season had started with the new year, Alfred would go into his office at 7:30 every day and not come out until the same time in the evening. This had been going on since the a few days after the office had been reopened and Kiku had very quickly noticed that it was becoming a regular event. However, it took an entire week for Kiku to realize that Alfred wasn't eating anything, as Alfred had been so busy. The accountants in the office didn't seem to pay much attention though, as they were all swamped with work as well and, according to Matthew, this was a normal thing for Alfred to do. Kiku, of course, was concerned. In his short experience, a hungry Alfred was an unhappy Alfred, and truthfully, though Kiku himself suddenly found himself incredibly busy (as he was helping Matthew with his work as well, since there was so much to get done all throughout the office), Alfred had truly not been himself recently and Kiku had noticed that Alfred hardly even smiled the few times he saw him.

This worried him. He liked Alfred's smile- it made Kiku smile as well, which made Alfred believe he was fulfilling his oath to get Kiku to smile more, which made Alfred even happier, which made Kiku smile even more. And now… well he couldn't bear to see Alfred at his desk without a bite to eat. He liked seeing Alfred happy.

Because who didn't like to see their boss happy? Of course! It was not as if Kiku truly felt anything for Alfred beyond what a worker usually feels for their superior: respect, admiration, devotion… a desire to be closer, to do absolutely anything to make him happy…. Kiku reasoned that it was normal to want a closer relationship with one's superiors, and to want to please them, right?

The elevator door opened with a "ding!" and Kiku stepped off the elevator. Getting his mind back on track with his task, he had been bringing lunch for Alfred for the past couple of weeks, though Alfred had not seemed to notice. He didn't even look up whenever Kiku entered his office, he was so concentrated on the taxes he was doing (Alfred dealt mostly with corporate taxes while most of the other accountants did the typical personal taxes, so he always paid extra attention to the finer details). Kiku would simply open the door after a quick knock, then go inside and set the food on Alfred's desk or somewhere near him on the floor if his desk was too crowded with papers and forms, with Alfred occasionally grunting in perhaps gratitude though usually, Kiku went unnoticed. Kiku had actually been paying for Alfred's lunches as well, though it didn't really bother him (he did keep the receipts in case Alfred ever decided to pay him back, however- he would wish the same courtesy if anyone ever did him a favor like that).

No one looked up as Kiku walked back into the office and towards Alfred's office. Everyone was too busy poring over forms, making calculations and rechecking data to pay attention. Kiku opened the door and walked straight over to Alfred's door, knocking twice. There was no answer, of course, but Kiku waited a moment before opening the door-

-and finding Alfred asleep with his head on his desk.

_Oh… _Kiku approached slowly, trying to be as quiet as he could. _Poor Alfred-ku-SAN fell asleep… he must be exhausted…_Kiku frowned slightly. _But as his secretary, it is my duty to wake him up, even if it is for just a bit. But how?_

He stood in front of Alfred, craning to look as his face. He looked so peaceful… Kiku sighed, bent over slightly and then poked Alfred on the shoulder.

"Alfred-san… _okite kudasai_… please wake up."

Alfred kept sleeping, his face twitching as he presumably dreamed something.

_How cute_, thought Kiku absently, half tempted to let him keep sleeping. He immediately shook his head. _No, no, I need to wake him up._

"Alfred-san." Kiku said more loudly, shaking Alfred's shoulder. "Please wake up."

"…Kiku…" Alfred grumbled.

_Is he awake?_ "Alfred-san," Kiku said, moving a little closer to see Alfred's face. Was he just pretending to sleep? Kiku shook Alfred's shoulder again. "Alfred-san, wake u-"

Alfred's blinked slowly and he gently placed a hand on Kiku's cheek, his eyes only half open. Kiku froze and Alfred blinked a few more times. The sleepy look he was giving Kiku was so intense, Kiku couldn't pull away: Alfred's blue eyes seemed much darker than usual, a smoldering gaze that even made Kiku's breath hitch in his throat. "Kiku… I…" Alfred said hoarsely, his just having woken apparent in his voice. Kiku's eyes widened as Alfred leaned a little closer. "I…"

"I brought you lunch!" Kiku said, blushing brightly for some reason as he quickly stood up properly and put the bag of food between him and Alfred. Alfred held his forehead and shook it, moving his glasses onto his forehead and rubbing his eyes.

"S-sorry, I thought I was still drea- Er, sorry." Alfred's cheeks were tinged pink.

"I-it is not a problem," Kiku said. _W-was he- why do I feel as if he was about to kiss me? _ "Eto.. as I said, I brought you lunch. I thought it as getting late and that you might be hungry…."

"Oh." Alfred looked at the bag in Kiku's hand and perked up. "OH! Thanks, Kiku!" Kiku set the bag down and Alfred grasped it, opening it. "Aw, dude, it's like all of my favori- Wait." He looked up at Kiku curiously. "Are you where it's been coming from? I remember eating something the past few days… but I don't remember where I got it from…"

"I had noticed you were not eating and so… I took the liberty of providing your lunch for you." Kiku sighed in relief mentally. Surely he had just imagined that Alfred wanted to kiss him. He did have a tendency to overanalyze things and Alfred seemed his normal self now. Though now he felt slightly disappointed. _Wait, what?_ _No, no, no, not disappointed at all, what am I thinking? _Kiku shook his head, then looked over at Alfred, waiting for a response.

"…" Alfred looked back inside the bag and stared at it, then looked at Kiku, grinning widely. "Kiku, you're the best. Like… seriously _awesome_."

Kiku shook his head, holding back a smile of his own- Alfred never failed to amuse him. "No, no, it is simply my duty."

"No, you're pretty great Kiku…" Alfred's grin became smaller and a bit… more contemplative, as if he was thinking about something else. "Really great…" Kiku frowned slightly, wondering what Alfred was thinking, then decided that Alfred was still preoccupied by work; speaking of which, he remembered, he should probably get back to his own things.

"… Well, I shall leave you to eat, Alfred-san. I still have some work to do and I do not wish to distract you from your own tasks." Alfred blinked, as if he had been distracted from his thinking and then smiled at Kiku.

"Sure thing! Thanks so much, Kiku! I'll have to take you out to lunch sometime to make up for this," he added, winking, as he opened the bag and began to pull food out. He paused awkwardly. "Er… if you want to at least," he amended, seeming suddenly wary. "As coworkers, of course…" he said quietly. "Not that we'd be anything more than that, of course, since you know, both of us are… guys…" Kiku could barely hear Alfred and, since what he was hearing didn't make much sense, assumed that he was just talking to himself sleepily.

"That is not necessary, Alfred-san," Kiku said, smiling politely. "I am simply happy to help." He turned and opened the door. He stepped out and as he closed the door, he heard a soft, sad, sigh cut off by the click of the door handle. _Alfred-san must be very tired… _he thought, going back to his desk with a sigh of his own. He was glad Elizaveta had asked him to come over for tea today- as much as he liked his job, these past few weeks had been a bit hectic and he needed relaxation time (not that he'd ever admit it aloud). The last time he'd been able to forget about anything stressful was when… well, when he'd gone over to Alfred's apartment. Elizaveta wasn't one for video games, really, but she was still good company and Kiku knew at least tonight he could relax. He only had to finish working today- a few more hours left and he was done for the week!

* * *

><p>It was 7 PM by the time Kiku was ready to leave. A difficulty had arisen with the Hastings accounts, which had been Feliciano's responsibility, and Ludwig had to go over it again. He had needed Kiku to fill out some of the lengthy paperwork once more as well, and the entire affair had taken quite a while. But now he was done and was grabbing his things to go. As he grabbed his briefcase, he glanced back at Alfred's still closed door, a bit reluctant to leave with Alfred still here. However, he knew that Alfred would be leaving soon and so, he hesitantly continued on his way. Elizaveta had sent a text asking him to meet her by her car in a parking garage near the Skyline building as she quickly finished some more work and he walked quickly, not wanting to be out in the brisk air longer than necessary. He really did like his iPhone, he thought as he walked along. Alfred had been correct in his suggestion and for that, Kiku was quite grateful.<p>

He arrived at the parking garage and headed for the elevator; Elizaveta had told him she was on the 5th level, row F. As he approached the elevator, he saw someone with blonde hair and a black turtleneck sweater dress walking in front of him. She looked familiar… Where had he seen her before? The woman turned slightly as she pressed the button for the elevator and Kiku got a better glimpse of her face. "_S"… something with an "S"._ She apparently noticed him because suddenly, she turned, smiling brightly and waved.

"Kiku, hi~!" she called out, quickly fussing with her hair.

"Good evening, Sam-san," Kiku replied with a polite smile and wave of his own. Ah, yes, Sam. The… how had Elizaveta put it? Office… slut? With a soft, inaudible sigh, he continued walking towards her- it wasn't that he disliked her personally (his first impression of her had been that she talked quite a bit but Elizaveta had pulled him away quickly and he hadn't had a chance to really form an opinion of his own), but he typically disliked associating with people of less than reputable reputations. However, it would be impolite for him to just turn and walk elsewhere now that they had greeted each other.

"So, how are you?" she asked as he came to a stop near her to wait for the elevator.

"I am well. How have you been?" he asked in return.

"Oh, I'm great! I made some resolutions this year. Get to _know_ other people better, get _closer_ to them. That kinda thing," she said, scooting a little closer to Kiku as she said this.

"Ah." _…Is she… flirting with me?_ Kiku thought, confused.

"How about you?" she asked. "How was your New Year's?"

_No, I am reading to deeply into her actions._ "It was rather uneventful. I spent it with… with a friend."

"Oh, that sounds nice…" she said as the elevator dinged and they entered. Kiku pressed the 5 and Sam simply glanced at the button, apparently also going to the same floor. "So, you don't have, like, family, or a girlfriend or something you spent it with?"

_She seems to be prying?_ "Eto… no, I do not. All of my family is back in Japan and I do not have a girlfriend," Kiku said. _Nor have I ever, actually, and I doubt I ever will, _Kiku thought, amused. It must have shown because she smiled at him and stood a little closer. Kiku scooted away a little.

"Oh~. That's surprising, actually. " Sam got even closer and Kiku smoothly edged away once more, glancing at the numbers above the door. _Why is this elevator so slow?_ "You have trouble meeting girls here in the States?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"That is not the issue," Kiku said simply, sliding awy yet again. _NOT INTERESTED!_ He thought loudly in his head. Sam was clearly trying to get Kiku to respond to her advances, but for goodness' sake, there was no way he'd go along with it. The elevator doors opened (_finally!_) and Kiku stepped out quickly, looking for Elizveta's car. Sam followed him.

"Oh. Hmm." She seemed pensive as she walked along with him. "So what're your tastes?" Kiku started. _Tastes?_ "Like me, I like me quiet, sensitive kind of guys. Serious expressions, hard working. That kind of thing." Kiku almost laughed at her transparent attempts to flatter him.

"I do not really think about that kind of thing," he replied curtly, still seeking out Elizaveta's car. Another elevator's light turned on, indicating that someone was coming up, hopefully Elizaveta.

"Mmhm." Sam appeared to be struggling to come up with something to say, trying to read Kiku it seemed. Kiku held back a smirk. He may never say so aloud, but he prided himself on his ability to sense the situation and mood and respond accordingly (he was a master at masking his emotions), and Sam, though she may be effective on others, was no match for Kiku. "Let me guess. You like bubbly blondes with bright blue eyes, big smiles?" Kiku blinked, an image of Alfred coming into his head immediately. His eyes widened and he shook his head, his cheeks turning pink. _How did sh- no, no, no, what am I thinking?_ Sam smirked victoriously. "Knew it."

"Y-you are mistaken," he said, turning away.

"Sure~. Now I know why you're acting so weird."

_Nani? _ Did she… did she know? Perhaps she had finally gotten the hint? Kiku's train of thought, however, was disrupted. The elevator doors dinged and Kiku turned to see the doors open: Elizaveta, who was talking to someone behind her. Kiku sighed in relief, not hearing most of what Sam was saying.

"… like girls like me, right?"

"Excuse me, Sam-san. I have to g-"

And then she grabbed him, pulling him close, and she was kissing him.

Kiku's eyes widened and he froze for a second as she pressed her lips against his, getting her lip gloss all over him.

_Kimoi, kimoi, kimoi!_ It felt so… gross, so wrong! Kiku raised his hands and put them on Sam's shoulders to push her away gently, but she seemed to think that he was trying to pull her closer because she only leaned in more. Kiku tilted his chin away slightly, trying not to hurt her as he finally pushed her away, staring at her blankly. _What was that about?_

Sam seemed slightly confused. "I guess you're used to prudes in Japan, but don't worry, this isn't weird here at all." Kiku just continued staring at her blankly and Sam was leaning up to kiss him again when Elizaveta appeared and suddenly yanked her away. Kiku stared blankly at the two, still confused by what had happened. "_N-nani ga shojita ka_?"

Elizaveta dragged Sam over to a pillar of sorts and shoved her onto it, pointing and talking in a low voice. Kiku kept staring blankly, trying to figure out what had just happened. _Sam-san just… just kissed me? Ge, ge, ge!_ He shivered, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He heard someone else walking away quickly, but by the time he turned, they were gone.

"… doesn't need you all over him like that. He's _not_ interested, got it? You are _not_ his type," he heard Elizaveta hiss and he turned back to her. Sam gave her a knowing look and glared back at her.

"Well you obviously think you are, don't yo-"

Elizaveta shook her head, laughing quietly. "Ha, no, there's no way in hell I'm Kiku's type. Now, you just stay away from him or-"

"Or what?"

"Or I might kick your ass. You see, Kiku's too much of a gentleman to do anything, but I will gladly do it for him," Elizaveta said angrily. At this point, Kiku's head had mostly cleared (except for the feeling of confusion he still had) and he walked over, placing a hand on Elizaveta's shoulder to pull her back a bit.

"There is no need for that, Elizaveta-san." He turned to Sam. "I am sorry, Sam-san, but Elizaveta is correct in one aspect. I am not interested, though I am… flattered that you think so much of me?" he said, more a question than a statement of fact. "But please, do not… do not do that again."

Sam narrowed her eyes. "You said you didn't have a girlfriend," she said, looking from Kiku to Elizaveta and back again.

"I assure you, Elizaveta-san and I are _not_ seeing each other," he said calmly.

"Then why?" she asked. "Most guys would be thrilled if someone like me-"

"Kiku's in love with someone," stated Elizaveta simply, giving Kiku a knowing glance. "So he's not interested, got it?"

Sam glared at Elizaveta, then looked at Kiku. "Is that true? I don't care if you two are going out, you know. I'm a big girl, I can take it." Kiku looked at Elizaveta then at Sam.

"Y-yes," he said quickly, wanting to just leave at this point.

Sam stared at him, studying his face, then seemed satisfied. "Fine." She turned to leave, then turned back once more. "But when whoever it is breaks your heart, I'm always here," she added as she walked away, her clicking heels echoing in the parking garage.

Kiku stared after her. "I… what?" he said once she was farther away.

Elizaveta sighed. "What a bitch," she said, shaking her head. "Kiku, you are too cute for your own good," she said, patting him on the shoulder, apparently having figured out what had happened for herself. "And you need to learn how to be more blunt."

"…"

"Anyway~! Alfred was right behind me, where'd he go?" Kiku looked around.

"Alfred-san was here?" Kiku asked. "I heard someone leaving… Wait, why was he here in the first place?"

Elizaveta seemed slightly worried. "Do you think he sa- no, he probably just had to go…" she said thoughtfully. "Though he seemed excited to be coming…."

"If I may ask, coming to what?" asked Kiku. He had been unaware that he and Elizaveta would have additional company today, much less Alfred.

"Er, nothing Kiku, just ignore that. Come on, it's getting late, let's go. And I want you to tell me exactly what happened with Sam," she added, effectively distracting Kiku from his probing.

"…Must I?"

"Yes," she said seriously as she led him to her car, which was only a few feet away. "Tell me everything she said and did so we can figure out how to keep this from happening again."

Kiku sighed and got into the car with her, rubbing his mouth on his sleeve again. He didn't really want to repeat that experience again.

* * *

><p>About two hours later, the two were sipping tea in Elizaveta's house, still chatting. Kiku really did enjoy her company and he was quite comfortable with her; however, it did still catch him (only slightly) off guard when she asked the question.<p>

"So, Kiku… I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but… you're gay, right?" Elizaveta asked quietly, setting her tea cup down on a platter that laid on the coffee table in front of her.

Kiku finished swallowing his tea and looked at her seriously, his hands folded in front of him on his lap.

_I can trust her,_ he thought after a bit.

"…yes." He sipped his tea again. This really was a strange feeling, he reflected, telling someone without it being forced out of him. He felt oddly relieved for some reason.

Elizaveta smiled and got up, sitting next to him. "Thanks for feeling close enough to share," she said. Kiku turned and smiled back at her, then suddenly remembered something.

"You would not tell anyone, would you? Especially not Alfred-san…" he added as an afterthought, speaking without really thinking. "It is not that I mind people knowing… but…"

"Of course not, Kiku!" Elizaveta exclaimed. "But… can I ask why not Alfred specifically?"

"…" Kiku glanced down at his tea. He felt very… relaxed tonight for some reason, a bit more open to talking with Elizaveta. After all, he was confident he could trust her. "I… I think it would make things uncomfortable for him."

"…" Elizaveta looked at her own tea, seemingly lost in thought. "You like him, don't you?" she asked after a bit. Kiku choked slightly on his tea.

"W-what? Well, of course I _like_ him, he is very fun to be around and he is very caring and kind..."

"But you really like him, right?" Kiku stayed silent and Elizaveta watched him for a bit. "You know, I wasn't lying today when I told Sam I thought you were in love… and I don't think you lied either."

Kiku felt his cheeks turn pink as he looked away. Did he really… what were his true feelings for Alfred? He respected him as his superior, that was certain. And he enjoyed Alfred's company.

"Do you think about him all the time?" she asked.

_ Yes…_

"And you like making him happy? Seeing him happy?"

_…yes…_

"You've ever dreamed or thought about what he would be like in a relationship with you?"

_... _Kiku thought about it all quietly. When he saw Alfred… he had an indescribable emotion… joy, excitement, longing… some sort of sad feeling as well… but mostly happy.

Elizaveta looked at him knowingly. "Kiku… here, we call that feeling you're experiencing 'in love'."

"…I…" Elizaveta patted him gently on the back.

"You know, you could… just tell him… because I think he likes you back."

Kiku's eyes widened. "No, no, no, you must be mistaken! There is no way that he reciprocates!"

"Ha!" Elizaveta gloated. "'Reciprocates'! That means you do like him!"

"N-no, I-" Kiku's cheeks were red now.

"Come on Kiku, you're in denial~! What's so wrong about admitting it?" Elizaveta looked at Kiku, smiling teasingly. "Just say it, you'll feel better!"

"…"

"Come on, Kiku! Just say 'I like Alfred'."

"…I… I l-like…" Kiku felt his cheeks burning. "I-I cannot…"

"In Japanese then?" Elizaveta asked. Kiku peered up at her. "How would you say it?"

"_Arufureddo-san ga daisuki desu_," he said quickly, for some reason not thinking about what he was saying until the words had left his lips. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

Elizaveta grinned at him in a manner that reminded him of Gilbert for some reason. "Ha ha! Now this time, say it with meaning."

Kiku felt the words come tumbling from his mouth now- he was unable to stop them. "_Arufureddo-san ga… ga…ga d-d-daisuki desu._" And as he said it, Kiku knew it was true. "I… I… I like Alfred-san."His cheeks continued burning as he looked over at Elizaveta again. "I… I like him. I."

She smiled at him. "See? Don't you feel better now?"

"… I… I believe so…" Kiku replied.

_ I like Alfred-ku-SAN. I like him. I like Alfred-san!_

Elizaveta took the opportunity to give him a quick hug.

"And I'm serious. I think he likes you back too." She released him quickly, knowing that he didn't really like invasion of personal space.

"…you do?" Kiku asked, still fighting with the side of him that wanted to deny it all.

"Yes. I'm positive." She smiled at Kiku, and Kiku smiled back.

* * *

><p>The next Monday at work, Kiku entered the office nervously. Elizaveta had encouraged him to tell Alfred, even if it were only baby steps. He wouldn't outright tell him (oh goodness, just the thought of telling Alfred made his hands shake), but she had told him that if he simply got a little closer, things might just… happen.<p>

So, it was with a bit of excitement and some trepidation that Kiku knocked on Alfred's door (Alfred had already arrived).

"Come in," came the reply.

Kiku entered and waved at Alfred. "_Ohayou gozaimasu, _Alfred-san."

"Good morning, Mr. Honda, just the person I wanted to see," Alfred said, his hands folded on his desk, his expression serious.

_M-Mister… Honda?_

"Take a seat, please," Alfred said, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk.

Kiku sat, wondering what exactly was going on. He looked at Alfred, and Alfred looked not at him, but… through him.

"Y-yes?"

Alfred sighed. "I don't try to pry into the personal lives of my employees often. But it's come to my attention that you and a Ms. Sam Davidson are seeing each other outside of work." Kiku blinked then stared at Alfred. This was a misunderstanding!

"N-no, we are most certa-"

Alfred raised a finger to stop him. "I don't personally mind relationships between co-workers, Mr. Honda, but I would like to ask that you keep it outside of the workplace, so as not to cause distractions."

"But I-"

"That's all I have to say on the matter. Let's just keep this between the two of us, okay?" Alfred asked with a smile that seemed a bit… forced. "Now then, let's get to work, Mr. Honda," he said with a wink that seemed a bit off.

"…Y-yes… Mr. Jones…. I understand…" Kiku said quietly.

Kiku stood up and went to the door, left, closed it behind him quietly, then sat in his chair and rested his forehead on his hands.

What- why had that happened? Why now? Just as he was about to try and get closer… and now Alfred was… pushing him away? Just now that he had realized what he really felt…

…_.Kuso._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

…

I'm alive?

orz

Sorry, I had MASSIVE writer's block… but anyway… er… here's this chappy. ^^; Don't hate me just yet, DON'T WORRY.

I have a feeling next chapter will make you happy again. ^^

Er… yeah. Next chapter should be up a LOT sooner (-has it half written-)

The ending was a bit… rushed? Sorry! orz

Thanks for sticking with me and my bad updating. XD

And HOLY CRAP over 100 reviews~~~~! You guys are awesome! This story is WAY more popular than I thought it would be! ^^;

**Moonlit Seas:** ^^ I'm glad you like it so much! Thanks for the review~!

**Apples**: Wow, thanks! :D I'm so glad you like it! I'll try to keep it going!

**Pakkaskuningatar: **Wow, er, thanks! :D -sniffles- You're too nice!

D I like keeping you all on your toes. ^^

Um… I don't know yet, sorry. ^^;

**Angelsxdemons: **D -evil-

To this date, Ringu is the only movie to freak me out.

**Lollypop-Otaku:** Con que me comentes, estoy feliz~! ^^ Si, tengo TANTAS GANAS que pongan a Mexico. XD

Yay, te gusto~ Jajajaja, soy muy cruel con ustedes. XD

Feliz año Nuevo! Y subi bien tarder orz

**Morning Chrysanthemum:** Well, thanks so much for reading and for finally reviewing~! ^^ I'm glad you like this so far!

Ah, yes, FRUK. I personally like it, but I think I might not put in any.

Heh heh, well, here's the update?

**PikoPiko-Chan**: XD I'm glad you like it~

**BlueMoon:** XD I shouldn't be keeping you up, darn it! But thanks for the dedication to reviewing~! XD I got you all with that, didn't I? –mean to you guys-

Not sure on that one (though I like FRUK ^^)

**ZeroLuver567:** XD

**SuperSconesOfDoom:** XD I wonder what your response was this time. XD Oh, no it is not~ And thanks, I do try ^^

**IrisTheFlower:** XD I'm quite mean to you all… -shrug-

I want a Kiku… XD

**Shylittlebunny09**: XD Sorry, I couldn't help myself. ^^; Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame**: I'm glad made you laugh~ I'm really happy you liked it so much dear~

**Kiku-dii:** XD Yeah, The Ring is pretty good. And yeah, the dream… XD Thanks for reviewing~!


	11. Chapter 11

Kiku sat nervously on the edge of his chair. He was in the office he and Alfred shared (_or perhaps... __had__shared_, he thought warily), but not at his desk as he usually would be- instead, he sat in one of the chairs typically reserved for waiting guests and clientele. Usually, people would come in, check in with Kiku (who would then inform Alfred of their arrival), and either go in to talk with Alfred or wait in the chairs and peruse a magazine or twiddle with their phones until Alfred had Kiku let them in. Today, however, Kiku was the one waiting to be seen by Alfred, sitting alongside Francis, Antonio and Gilbert.

_Gilbert-san…_ thought Kiku coldly as he glared at his (perhaps former?) co-worker. Gilbert gave him a lazy grin, but Kiku noticed that Gilbert's neck seemed tense, his eyes tightened with worry, or more likely, fear as Kiku glowered at him. _Good,_ thought Kiku as he flicked his gaze away. Gilbert should be afraid- and not so much of Alfred as of Kiku; Kiku had had half a mind to completely destroy Gilbert for what he had done.

Kiku' glare shifted to Antonio and Francis next; they had been involved as well, of course. Antonio actually seemed serious for once, staring at his hands, and Francis… well, Francis simply smirked at Kiku, raising an eyebrow in what looked like amusement. Kiku narrowed his gaze until Francis frowned, then turned back to look at the door to Alfred's office.

Alfred wasn't yelling, but his tone was stern nonetheless. He seemed to give an order and there was a reply by a different, softer voice, and then the door opened. Elizaveta came out, closing the door behind her quickly and casting an apologetic glance at Kiku, mouthing "I'm sorry" as she headed for the door. Kiku refused to meet her eyes, however, instead choosing to look at a particularly fascinating piece of the wall directly opposite of her. Of all the events that had transpired today, Elizaveta's betrayal had to be one of the worst. Kiku's jaw tightened slightly as she left the office, probably on her way home, seeing as it was rather late. He had been a fool, a complete and utter fool to confide in her about something so personal. First, Francis, Gilbert and Antonio had pried it out of him, then he had admitted it to Elizaveta, and now… now Alfred knew. Kiku let out a sigh as he tucked some hair behind his ear. Today had been absolutely ridiculous.

The door opened and Kiku quickly glanced over. Alfred stood at the door, his face a mosaic of emotions- tiredness, frustration, a bit of anger, annoyance and… something more? Alfred's eyes passed over Kiku as if he wasn't there and he spoke.

"Mr. Carriedo," he said stiffly, giving Antonio a blank stare as Antonio got up and walked over. He ducked inside the office and Alfred turned smartly, letting the door shut loudly.

"Aw man… I hope he's not too hard on 'Tonio…" Gilbert said, breaking the silence that they had all sat in for quite a while. Kiku glanced over at him.

"Antonio is a big boy, Gilbert. He'll be fine. Anyway, I think he's going in order of how pissed at us he is honestly, going with the people he's least mad at going first," said Francis, tossing his hair behind his shoulder. "$50 says I'm last."

Gilbert chuckled quietly. "If that's true, I'm sure you're right. But then," he said, his tone changing from amused to wondering. "Why's Kiku still out here with us?" He looked over at Kiku, who had been about to retort with a rather scathing comment about how Antonio was just as guilty as the others. Then Kiku blinked as he processed what Gilbert had said. Was Alfred really that angry at Kiku? He had a right to be, Kiku knew, but the idea of Alfred being mad at him… Kiku groaned, startling both Francis and Gilbert.

"Oh, Kiku… I'm sure he's not that mad at you. You didn't really do anything bad, it was all Gilbert and me," Francis said, trying to be reassuring for some reason.

"Yeah, didn't do anything _wrong_," Gilbert told him. "It's not like you-"

"Like I almost kissed a coworker and then forced them to confess their less than appropriate feelings for their superior? Yes, that would be you, Gilbert-san," Kiku said indignantly, turning to glare at him once more.

"It wasn't my idea."

"Oh come on, _mon petite_ Kiku," Francis said. "You're still on that?" He laughed quietly. "It was for your own good."

"M-m-my own good?" Kiku stammered. "I may very well be fired or forced to resign because of all of you!"

"No, Alfred wouldn't do that…" Gilbert spoke up. "He's not that kinda guy."

"_Oui._ You in particular would have a difficult time getting Alfred to do anything that drastic."

"This seems quite drastic to me, actually, so forgive me if I am not so relaxed. It is not every day that one is assaulted and forced to reveal their personal feelings," Kiku said. "Though with the little group you have created, it seems to be becoming more and more of a habit," he added bitterly. These three, and now Elizaveta too, had a knack for forcing Kiku into uncomfortable situations.

Francis and Gilbert seemed to finally realize that Kiku really was quite upset and shut up, leaving Kiku to think back on how the entire affair. Who knew that any of this would have happened?

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that week:<em>

It had taken Elizaveta about 10 seconds to realize that something was wrong with Kiku. After he had had his little "talk" with Alfred, he had gone to work somewhat distractedly. It was unlike him, it really was, but he couldn't help wondering why everything had to happen _now._ He had just realized what exactly he had been feeling for the past few months…and now…

Kiku sighed, closing his eyes for a second. He was not being responsible. He shouldn't be focusing on this, he should be working, should be an adult about this. He had to forget this for now and concentrate!

Kiku managed to make it to lunch… but only until then. As soon as he sat across from Elizaveta, her excited, curious expression quickly morphed into one of confusion. "Kiku… why aren't you sitting with Alfred? Is he busy?"

Kiku cleared his throat and put on a small smile. "Yes, he was busy," he said.

Elizaveta narrowed her gaze. "Uh huh… " Kiku nodded and proceeded to pull out his lunch, poking at it with his chopsticks as she watched him while holding her sandwich without eating any. "…What did he do, Kiku? Did you tell him and he rejected you? Because I will-"

"No, no, of course not!" Kiku said, feeling his cheeks turn pink. "I did no such thing!"

"… then… what happened?" Kiku was about to reply when Elizaveta gave him a stern look. "Don't lie to me, Kiku. I can tell when you're lying!"

Kiku frowned, then sighed. He looked around, making sure they were alone, then set his chopsticks down. "I tried to explain, but he ignored me… Alfred-san thinks… thinks that Sam-san and I… that we are together."

"…what?" Elizaveta blinked a few times then made a face of despair. "Aw crap! He must have seen when he was coming up with me! Dammit!" She pulled out her phone and began texting rapidly, speaking as she did. "It's not that bad, is it? Does he just want you to 'break up' with her?"

"Actually, no. He said that he is fine with relationships in the office as long as they do not interfere with work…"

"That's good, that means he wouldn't say no to _you _because of that," Elizaveta said, nodding as her phone buzzed.

"… but he also… he began referring to me as… 'Mr. Honda'." Elizaveta almost dropped her phone mid-text.

"W-what?" Elizaveta stared at Kiku. "'Mr. Honda'? He calls everyone, _everyone_, by their first name! Crap, crap, crap! Um, don't worry Kiku, I'll fix this!" Kiku watched, confused as Elizaveta texted rapidly.

"How are you-?" Elizaveta's phone buzzed and she read the text.

"Idiot, what do you mean?"

"E-excuse me?"

Elizaveta looked up from her texting. "Uh, sorry, I was talking about this idiot." She pointed at her phone, which began ringing. She answered quickly.

"Yeah, yeah. No, no, he's right here, I can't- I've only got 10 minutes left for lun- NO! I said we weren't doing that! No, no, tell him that I will personally kick his a- " She sighed. "I'll be right there then." Elizaveta turned to Kiku. "I'm really sorry, but I need to go." She grabbed the piece of sandwich that remained. "But I promise, I'll fix this!" she added, leaving Kiku alone at the table.

_… I have a bad feeling about this…_ Kiku thought as he nibbled on his food, sitting by himself.

And that was the last he heard of it for a while. But then…

* * *

><p><em>Earlier today…<em>

"Kiku~!" Antonio said happily as he walked into Kiku's little enclosure near closing time.

"Yes, Antonio-san? Do you need to see Alfred-san? I am afraid he has stepped out for the moment. Something about the Winston accounts is what I gathered. You may have better luck tomorrow."

"Oh, I know, I called him out," Antonio said cheerfully. "I need you to comewith me!"

Kiku was immediately suspicious. Antonio had called Alfred out, then come to visit him? "I cannot leave the office unattended," he said slowly. Why was he needed?

"_Por supuesto que puedes!_" Antonio said. "What is the worst that could happen?"

"Someone might call, or drop in," Kiku replied.

"We're almost closed, so we won't have any more people coming in," Antonio said, reaching around Kiku. "And you don't have to worry about calls-" Antonio yanked out the phone cord from the wall. "-if the phone is not working~!" Kiku stared at Antonio.

"What are you doing?" Antonio grabbed Kiku's wrist.

"Let's go~!" He said, yanking a bit.

"Antonio-san, what are you doing?" Kiku asked once more, taking his wrist out of Antonio's grasp. Antonio grabbed Kiku's chair and pulled it, with Kiku in it, towards the door.

"We have to go, Kiku!" Kiku ground his heels into the ground, flustered. It was happening again!

"Antonio-san!" _Ever since I came into the United States of America, I keep being kidnapped!_

"_Perdon_," Antonio replied. "But I was told to take you to the conference room." Antonio opened the door and grabbed the chair again, yanking on it again and dragging Kiku with him. Kiku's heels heated up with friction as he was dragged and he lifted his feet as he was taken away, grabbing onto the seat to keep from falling.

"Antonio-san, I am not amused by this. I do not know what you and your friends are planning, but I refuse to have a part in it." Kiku planned to get off of the chair as soon as Antonio stopped, but Antonio was a bit cleverer than that. He began to push Kiku from the front, making it impossible for Kiku to get up. They eventually got to the conference room and Antonio gave him a final shove into the room, closing the door behind him and holding it tight as Kiku stood up quickly and tried to open it. "Antonio-san, you are being childish! Let me ou-"

"Hey Kiku!" came from behind him. Kiku turned around quickly, having not noticed that anyone else was in the room.

Gilbert.

Kiku blinked then glared at Gilbert. "Why do you continue doing this? Where is Francis-san? I assume he is here as well."

Gilbert chuckled. "Well, let's just say he's a bit preoccupied at the moment," he said, chuckling as he approached Kiku, glancing at a storage cupboard near them. "Anyway, this time, _I'm _the one that needs to talk to you."

Kiku looked at him warily. "About what?"

Gilbert's usual smug expression suddenly became a serious one. "… Do you remember when we were on the roof and Francis asked you a question?"

Kiku looked at him suspiciously. "Yes…"

"And you told us that you were gay?" Gilbert asked. Kiku continued to keep looking at Gilbert oddly.

"…" he nodded.

"I'm sorry, Kiku, what did you say?" Gilbert asked. "You need to say it; I forgot to put my contacts in today, so you're kind of just a blur."

"…yes, I remember." Gilbert stepped closer. Kiku heard a strange sound, like a thump, from the storage closet. He looked over at it, but Gilbert stood in front of him, blocking his view.

"There, I can see you now. Well, do you remember what I told you? About how I wouldn't tell you about me until you told us?"

"…yes…"

"Well, I never told you. "

"That is perfectly fine, Gilbert-san, I have no wish to know." Kiku turned to leave, but of course, _of course_, he was stopped. Gilbert grabbed his hand and forced him to turn.

"…fucking owes me for this," Gilbert said under his breath, glaring at the same cabinet.

"Gilbert-san?"

Gilbert turned back quickly, his expression vulnerable for some reason. "Kiku… I love you."

"…what?" Kiku stared. _Just… what? _There was a loud thumping again and some other strange muffled sounds emanating from the closet, but Kiku was quickly distracted.

Gilbert placed his hands on either side of Kiku and leaned forward with his eyes closed; Kiku's eyes widened as he realized that Gilbert was going to kiss him. _No, not again! Why does this kind of thing keep happening to me?_

Kiku ducked, putting his hands up to keep Gilbert away. "I am sorry, but I like someone else!"

Gilbert stepped back, looking relieved for a second, but his expression quickly changed to hurt. "Wh-what? Who?"

Kiku swallowed. "… Alfred-san…" he said quietly.

"Who?"

Kiku sighed. "Alfred-san, Gilbert-san. I like Alfred-san," Kiku said more loudly. _I may as well just tell the whole office now,_ Kiku thought bitterly. But really, he had no idea how to deal with this. Gilbert liked him? What the heck? "I mean, you are a very… good person. You are attractive and… have an interesting personality… but you are not my type. I like Alfred-san," Kiku said hesitantly. "But I would prefer you keep this a secr-"

The closet door burst open and really, Kiku should have guessed. He should have known somehow what was going to happen, should have realized it. But no, he hadn't. From the small storage room burst Francis (that wasn't too much of a shock), Elizaveta (that was quite surprising), and, staring at Kiku in astonishment, blushing brightly…

Alfred.

_Are?No, no, he did not hear that, did he? _Obviously Alfred had, as he kept staring at Kiku, who felt his cheeks turn red. _No, no, no,no._ Kiku quickly looked away from Alfred and glared at Gilbert, who was holding back a laugh, then looked at Francis and Elizaveta. Francis seemed quite happy and Elizaveta appeared excited for a few seconds, but when she saw Kiku's look of distress, her expression immediately fell, as if she realized he was a bit upset.

Alfred recovered his composure more or less quickly. Though he still looked embarrassed and his cheeks were still tinged with pink, Alfred cleared his throat and furrowed his brow. "I-I-I… Ahem. This isn't funny," he said, glaring at Gilbert, who had let out a snort. "I'm not letting this one just slide. Everyone! In my office. Now."

"But Kiku-" Elizaveta opened her mouth to speak, but Alfred turned to her, eyes narrowed.

"I said all of you. Now." He went over to the door and wrenched it open, Antonio almost falling as he had apparently been eavesdropping. "And you too," he added at Antonio, who seemed surprised. Alfred looked back at everyone in the room, Kiku still in shock. _He knows, he knows, he knows._ "I said now." Alfred pointed and everyone finally seem to realize he was serious and began to go. As he walked through the door past Alfred, Kiku refused to look at him. Not only was Kiku embarrassed, but he was incredibly annoyed at Gilbert, Francis and Antonio, angry, even. And he also felt betrayed by Elizaveta, whom he had trusted. And with this torrent of emotions he also had one question pounding in his head: _What am I supposed to do now?_

* * *

><p>And now here he was, waiting to be called in. Francis had been almost right: Gilbert had gone in first, and then it was him. Gilbert had come out of Alfred's office looking mostly unfazed, though he did give Francis a certain look. Francis, of course, went along as if nothing had happened, smiling almost playfully at Alfred, who did not seem amused. In fact, it truly worried Kiku to see Alfred so serious; usually, no matter how "professional" Alfred was with a client, he always had the twinkle in his eye, that little smile in his voice, a hint of immaturity that his suit and tie failed to completely disguise. Now, he was stern, serious, almost… un-Alfred.<p>

Kiku didn't like it.

And even worse, Kiku felt as if he was the cause of the entire thing. He stared at his folded hands as he waited for his turn. What was he going to do now? What was the standard protocol for dealing with one's boss after confessing one's love for them? He had never had to deal with this before! He remembered his last relationship, which had just kind of happened after a long friendship. He'd never actually had to worry about something like what had just happened… And clearly Alfred didn't like him back. Alfred's expression when he had burst out of the storage cupboard was one of embarrassment, as his red cheeks clearly denoted, and shock as well, if his wide-eyed stare at Kiku was any indication. Considering that Alfred was also being stern, he was most likely angry as well or at least a little upset.

Kiku groaned quietly again. He had just single-handedly destroyed not only his career but any chance he had at maybe pursuing a relationship with Alfred. Well, of course, Francis, Gilbert, Antonio, and Elizaveta all had a hand… but if he had never allowed himself to develop any less than appropriate feelings for Alfred, if he had never told Elizaveta his true feelings, never allowed Francis to manipulate him into revealing that he was gay… this was all his fault. And now, he thought as the door to Alfred's office opened once more, it was is time to deal with the consequences. There was only one thing he could do now.

Francis came out of the office, appearing to have been soundly chastised. However, once he closed the door, his grim expression became a knowing smirk. He winked at Kiku as he spoke. "Alfred said he'd like to see you in his office." Kiku looked at Francis. He was acting very oddly. "And don't worry about a thing,_ mon _Kiku, I have a feeling this is all going to work out. _Vous ne pouvez pas cacher le sentiment de l'amour de_ _moi,_" Francis added cryptically as he opened the door knob to leave. Kiku stared after him as he left the office and the door closed with a click behind him. He looked up at Alfred's door, took a deep breath, then walked over and knocked on the door.

* * *

><p>Alfred sighed after the door closed behind Francis. He doubted that Francis had taken him seriously at all, but he really was tired of all the crap his little trio kept pulling. He felt pretty bad for Kiku too, for being the focus of all their stupid stunts. First they'd kidnapped him for who knows why (the three all stuck to the lame and obviously fake cover story of "initiation rites"), then Francis had his scheme at the Christmas party where Alfred ended up having to save Kiku from being mouth-raped and now this. He shook his head. Kiku must feel so uncomfortable with all that had happened… Alfred couldn't even imagine what was going through Kiku's mind right now, but at the moment, Alfred himself could only properly think one thing: <em>Holy shit. Holy shit! Kiku likes me back.<em> _No freaking way!_

He felt like a kid, honestly, like he was back in high school, all nervous and crap now that Kiku was coming in. What was he going to say?

"You with the beautiful moonlit eyes that have captured my heart, beloved flower of my soul, would you do me the honor of going out with me?"

PFFFFT! If he wanted Kiku to laugh at him, maybe. Besides, "romantic poet guy" was not his style. Maybe he should be a bit more aggressive and confident:

"Friday night, 7 o' clock. See you there, babe." -wink-

No, Kiku would be put off… Maybe just a simple "Wanna go out with me?"

No,no, he wanted to show Kiku how much he actually liked him. These past few months of hanging out with Kiku, getting closer to him… he had started off just wanting to make Kiku come out of his shell and really enjoy the States, but he had started to realize that Kiku was actually pretty awesome and a nice guy and really cute and had a great personality and before he knew it, Alfred was crushing on him. And hard. But the worst part was that he was absolutely convinced that Kiku was straight (what were the chances of him being gay? Like slim to none.) It hadn't helped when he'd ended up under the mistletoe with Kiku or when Kiku had come over and kept him company (on New Year's Eve!) or when Kiku did any of the amazing things he always did, like getting him coffee (Kiku made _amazing_ coffee, ohmigosh), or buying him lunch (so thoughtful!), or saying good morning in Japanese (did Kiku know how freaking adorable that was? Every time Kiku said anything in Japanese, Alfred was filled with this overwhelming need to hug him or kiss him or something). That's why he had begun to realize that this was bad. He really liked Kiku, but since there was almost no chance that Kiku liked him back (he had to like girls, come on. Why else would he have pictures of random anime girls and Vocaloids on his phone?), he had tried to distance himself from Kiku. It hadn't worked, of course (he felt like a jerk), and when Elizaveta invited him to go hang out with her and Kiku (she'd said it was Kiku's idea), he hadn't been able to say no. So he'd gone on all happily and excited, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Kiku might like him back. And then… oh gosh… then he'd seen Kiku with Sam.

Heartbreak.

He'd been an idiot to think Kiku might like him. But he wasn't mad at Kiku, far from it! He still liked him just as much. But there was no chance that Kiku would like him back… and he'd already gotten too close. So he tried to keep Kiku away. It was selfish, really selfish, to just put up a cold front and pretend to have a purely business relationship with Kiku. Confronting him about Sam had been pretty bad too, but not as bad as calling him "Mr. Honda". He felt like such a jerk! And seeing Kiku's momentary shock, and then watching his eyes go blank again with his incredible skill at masking his emotions (Alfred literally strove to make Kiku lose his mask for even a second, but not like that… he liked seeing Kiku's eyes smile too, not just his mouth)… Alfred shook his head. And then he'd been held captive in the storage closet by Francis and Elizaveta, hearing Kiku admit, _admit_, that he was gay!

Then Gilbert said he was in love with Kiku and Alfred almost burst out of the closet to stake his claim, as stupid as that sounded.

But then, then! Kiku admitted that he liked Alfred! Alfred had literally burst into the room in shock, dragging Francis and Elizaveta out of the cabinet with him.

And Kiku had seemed to be completely stunned, staring at the three. But of course, Alfred had to tell Francis and his little friends not to do it again, so he had had to ignore Kiku for a bit as he frantically tried to figure out exactly what he was going to say to Kiku. He'd told Francis and his friends to forget everything that happened because he really didn't want any rumors, true or not (gosh, he hoped they were true!), going around the office. So he felt kind of like a dick for snubbing Kiku while he was talking to the others.

But now! Now he could fix it all! If he could just figure out what to sa-

There came a knock at the door. _Too late_.

Alfred cleared his throat.

"Come in." The door opened smoothly, noiselessly, and Kiku stepped in, his footsteps barely making a sound. Alfred always admired that, the way Kiku moved so fluidly, always just out of the way of anyone, just close enough for you to know he was there, but far enough away that he wasn't a bother. Kiku stood behind the chair, his face the same blank mask as usual. Alfred waited for him to sit, avoiding eye contact because he still had not freaking idea what he was going to say. After about a minute, he realized Kiku was still standing. _That's right, Kiku won't sit down if he isn't asked first._ He cleared his throat again. "Please, sit down."

Kiku sat quietly, not even scraping the chair on the floor, watching Alfred, who suddenly realized that this was it, this was when he was going to tell Kiku, and even though Kiku apparently felt the same, it still made him shake and feel uncomfortably hot. Kiku continued to watch Alfred and Alfred felt pressured to say something. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Kiku, I-"But Kiku interrupted him.

"I apologize for my outburst earlier, Mr. Jones. I understand how awkward this might make our working relationship and therefore… I offer you my resignation." Kiku spoke rapidly, his voice quavering for a second with the last word, but his expression just as serious as it usually was. Alfred blinked. Resignation? What?

"Kiku, you don't have to do that, I-"

"I am clearly not fit for my position. I have allowed my feelings to fester into something inappropriate. Even if I am to stay, I am sure my presence will simply make you uncomfortable."

"No, no, no Kiku, what are you talking about? Do you think I—"

"I apologize for interrupting so readily today, but I know that Americans tend to be more accepting of… diversity. However, I doubt something like this would be acceptable by even the most liberal standards." Alfred's eyes widened. Why did Kiku always have to think about what was acceptable and appropriate? "This is why I have no choice but to offer my resignation." Alfred stood up in his chair as he realized that Kiku was really serious.

"Kiku, what are you talking about" Alfred went around his desk to where Kiku was. _No. No no no no no. What is he saying? Resign? Why the HELL would I want him to do that?_

"It is only… proper." Kiku stood up slightly in his chair and turned to Alfred, avoiding looking him in the eyes. "I… I like you, Mr. Jo- Alfred-san." Kiku's cheeks began to color with pink. "I like you more than an employee should like their boss… and for that…" Kiku bowed before Alfred. "I sincerely apologi-"

"Kiku. Stop." As soon as Alfred gave the order, Kiku shut his mouth, clamping it closed. Alfred bent down a little to see Kiku's face, since he was still bent over in a bow. "Kiku." Kiku remained bent over. "Kiku, look at me," Alfred said, watching as Kiku stood up straight and made eye contact. For a few seconds, Alfred saw Kiku's eyes full of confusion, embarrassment… And then he did what he always did: he shut down any visible expression of his emotions and looked at Alfred blankly. "I don't want you to leave," Alfred told him, trying to get Kiku to show something, any kind of feeling. Why was he always like this? What was so wrong about showing what he felt? "I want you to stay here… with me."

Kiku's eyes flashed quickly, but he moved so that his hair covered them from view. "…I am sorry, but if I stay, we will both be uncomfortable." Kiku looked up at Alfred, and Alfred realized that Kiku was actually really… sad. _No, you can't make Kiku sad! Fix it, fix it! _"Unrequited affection… " _Unrequited? I like you too, dammit Kiku! How can I make you understand? _Kiku bit his lip for a moment, then continued. "Unrequited affection does not make for a proper working environm-"

And then, before he realized what he was doing, Alfred reached over, cupped Kiku's face with his hands and pressed his lips to Kiku's in a kiss. After a second of frozen shock, with Alfred wondering what the hell he had been thinking, he realized that…

Kiku was kissing him back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

.

There you go?

Heh heh.

I thought you might want to see Alfred's side for a brief second, so you know what was going on. And let me answer some questions you probably have:

Kiku's ex will not appear in this fic. Uh, let's just say it was Greece because why not.

What exactly happened with the BTT and Elizaveta? Francis and Elizaveta forced Alfred into this little storage closet and held him there. Gilbert was PRETENDING to like Kiku to shock him into saying that about Alfred, and it worked, but he didn't really want to. He's just a good actor. XD

Uh, any other questions? Please ask, I will answer, or try to, at least. ^^;

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING. YOU ARE FREAKING AMAZING!

**Moonlit Seas**: XD I hope this made you happy. ^^ Oh, thanks for catching that! I really appreciate it. –will watch out for that-

**lady-ribbon**: Thank you so so much! I don't know when you'll get to see my reply, but thanks you SO much for all your reviews and faithful reading~! I'm glad you like this so much.

**Angelsxdemons:** Did this chappy make up for it? ^^;

**Pakkaskuningatar**: Yay~! I'm glad you like it! :D

**BlueMoon:** D I hope this was good enough? Thank you!

**Angel-chan Desu:** I answered you already, but I apologize once more for failing to put you in the last one. orz

**SamRed06:** She's not his love interest, actually. ^^; If you re-read it, you'll see he doesn't like her, really. And I think it'd be lazier to bring in Arthur, since that's what you'd be expecting. He'll come in later.

**Paratale**: Satisfying, I hope then?

**Shylittlebunny09**: But then I fi it! :D

**ZeroLuver567:** XD Thanks!

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame:** -le updates- Good?

**Lollypop-Otakuu:** espero que esto fue lo suficiente para que te satisfeche.

**Kyo:** ^^ Espero que te siga encantando~!

**IrisTheFlower**: XD You are psychic, my dear. Oh indeed she is, feel free to hate her. ^^

I hoped you liked it~!

**kiku-dii**: XD –ends tantrum?-


	12. Chapter 12

"Unrequited affection…" Kiku broke off. He hadn't realized how much it might hurt to think Alfred not like him back. But, he told himself, he needed to say this and make a clean break, as much as he wanted otherwise. "Unrequited affection does not make for a proper working environm-"

And then Alfred was kissing him.

Kiku froze for a second, surprised, but he quickly found his eyes closing as he instinctively began to kiss Alfred back, gasping quietly as he felt a light tingle spread down his lips to his spine, a slight shiver travel across his back. This—this was what he had wanted for these past few months. Alfred's soft lips pressed against Kiku's hesitantly, a bit awkwardly at first, as if he was uncertain this was allowed. Slowly lifting his hands to mirror Alfred's, Kiku reassured him, standing on his toes to lean forward slightly and taking passing amusement in the fact that Alfred's jaw was a bit prickly with stubble. Alfred seemed to get the message; he moved one of his hands down to the middle of Kiku's back and used the other to cradle Kiku's neck, kissing him more confidently, more firmly, pressing him closer. Kiku responded to his movements intuitively, slowly lifting his hands and wrapping his arms loosely around Alfred's neck. It was slow and sweet, Kiku savoring every moment of it: the gentle movement of Alfred's lips against his, the warmth of Alfred's arms around him, Alfred's scent wafting around him, a light, clean smell that reminded Kiku of an autumn breeze.

It was absolutely wonderful.

Kiku had no idea how much time had passed when they finally broke apart but he knew it was much too soon. With a deep, but quiet, breath, he opened his eyes slowly, meeting Alfred's dark blue eyes, which were mere inches away. The two gazed at each other for a silent moment, and then Alfred smiled nervously at Kiku, his cheeks a bright pink.

"Er… I-I-I… um, I like you t-too. "

And with the break of the quiet, Kiku realized what he had just done. His dizzy happiness suddenly became panicked worry. He realized the position he was in, his arms around Alfred's neck, pulling him down, their bodies pressed close together, their faces almost touching. Kiku's eyes widened slowly and his cheeks turned red as he realized that yes, Alfred had indeed just kissed him.

And he'd kissed back.

_What have I done, what have I done, what have I done?_ Kiku quickly took his arms back from around Alfred and ducked under Alfred's arms, scurrying away quickly, covering his mouth with his hand.

"K-Kiku, wh-what's wrong?" Alfred asked, his expression stunned and a little hurt.

"I-I-I-" Kiku stammered out. What was he supposed to say now?

Alfred hit his forehead with his palm. "Aw, man, I'm sorry. I have bad breath, don't I? Or I'm a bad kisser. That's it, I'm a horrible kisser, aren't I?" Alfred peeked over a Kiku, his face a picture of despair.

"No, no," Kiku said, feeling incredibly guilty as Alfred looked at him vulnerably. "That is most definitely not the problem! Your breath was fine and you are an excellent kisser," he said, his face turning a darker red as he said so. _Did I really just say that out loud?_

"Then…" Alfred didn't seem convinced. _I kissed him, I kissed him! What exactly am I supposed to do now? What do I say?_

"I apologize! _S-sumimasen! Go-gomenasai!_" Kiku said, unable to think clearly and therefore finding it difficult to speak in English at the moment.

"Whoa! What are you apologizing for?" Alfred asked, reaching out to touch Kiku's shoulder.

Kiku took another step back, the heel of his black shoe hitting the wall behind him. "I-I-I- I should not have done that!" What had he been thinking? Kissing his boss, in said person's office, after office hours; it was the epitome of lack of propriety!

"Kiku, it's okay, I was the one that kissed you!" Alfred said, taking another step forward. "I should be the one apologizing-"

"_Shi-shikashi, watashi wa-_" Why did he keep switching to Japanese? _English! English!_ "But, I-I-I kissed you b-back!"

Alfred stared at Kiku blankly. "And?"

"W-well…" Kiku's cheeks were pink as he looked away. "That would not be considered… appropri-"

"You like me, right?" Alfred interrupted, his eyes narrowed.

"…yes," Kiku replied quietly, his cheeks flushing a brighter pink. Why was he so nervous, so embarrassed about this?

"And you… you want to go out with me?" Alfred asked, his expression turning shy for a moment, then serious again, his blue eyes determined despite the blush on his cheeks.

"…I would…I would like to, yes…"Kiku said.

"Then what's wrong with kissing me back? Is it too soon? I'm sorry, I thought-"

"No, it is not that," Kiku replied. "I… it just… I want to 'go out' with you, yes," he told Alfred. "But… our circumstances… we work together, you are my superior! It would not be right, we would be breaking rules of some kind. And by kissing you back, I acknowledge that I know that I would be going against-"

"Screw the rules!" Alfred said, stepping towards Kiku, closing what little space remained between them. "Kiku," he said, his eyes softening a little. "I really like you. And I want you to keep being the best thing that's ever happened to me. All I'm asking is that you give me a chance. Forget about what's 'proper' and 'appropriate' for this, Kiku. Just do what _you_ want to."

"…" Kiku thought about it. What he_ should_ do right now was apologize once more, formally resign and leave. But what he _wanted_, what he really desired...

"I…" He bit his lower lip as he thought.

Alfred's face dropped a little as Kiku took a while to think about it. "I understand…" he said sadly, beginning to turn around. "I guess it was stupid of me to-"

_Do something, do something!_

So, taking a leaf from Alfred's book, Kiku reached out and put his hand on Alfred's shoulder. Alfred turned around, a look of confusion beginning to appear on his otherwise dejected face. _What am I doing?_ Kiku asked himself as he saw his right hand gently grasp Alfred's tie and give it a little tug, pulling him down. His other hand rose without his consent (_No, no, I cannot do this!_)turned Alfred's face towards his own and then he was kissing Alfred again.

As his lips brushed against Alfred's, Kiku asked himself, _Should I __really__ be doing this?_

_No._

_ But it _is_ what I want._

As they kissed again, Kiku felt himself deepening the kiss a little, found Alfred parting his mouth slightly, a deep noise emanating from Alfred's throat as Kiku pressed himself closer, kissed him harder. Immediately, Kiku pulled away.

_ Too much, too soon!_ Kiku thought, blushing furiously. "I-I-I-I apo-apologize again," he stuttered. If the first kiss had been massively inappropriate, what exactly did he classify this as?

Alfred too was blushing profusely, but he smiled sheepishly at Kiku. "N-no problem. I don't mind if you do that again." He grinned at Kiku , his cheeks still scarlet.

Kiku shut his eyes in embarrassment, shaking his head slightly. "P-perhaps… perhaps a-another time," he replied quietly.

Alfred continued grinning at him and Kiku felt as if he had given the wrong impression. "I-I am not usually like this!" he stammered. "I just- I do not know what came over me!" he added defensively as Alfred continued beaming at him. "I-I simply-"

"You are freaking adorable," said Alfred, causing Kiku to blush again. "I've wanted to tell you that forever."

_D-did he really just say that?_ Kiku thought, hiding his face with his hair. "_A-arigato go-gozaimasu-_" he replied softly.

"See? THAT is exactly what I mean."

Kiku just blushed darker, sure that his(by now) crimson face was incredibly unattractive.

Alfred continued grinning at him. "So, when's our date~?" he asked.

"I-" _I cannot believe it, I really am going on a date with Alfred-san!_ "I am free this weekend…" Kiku gasped mentally as he realized that he hadn't even gone on a single date with Alfred, yet he had already kissed him… twice. _I must seem so… so promiscuous, _he thought with despair. Kiku slapped his forehead with his palm. _Baka!_

Alfred apparently hadn't noticed anything because he continued talking excitedly. "That's awesome, I think I'm free too!" He looked over at his desk where the calendar was, then at Kiku. "I'm free right?"

Kiku looked up, running through Alfred's schedule in his mind. "Ah…. Yes. You do have to finish the Johnston Incorporated accounts by Tuesday, so you may wish to work on them some over the weekend, but you have no scheduled appointments."

"Well, now I do~! Does tomorrow work for you? I can pick you up at 1, we'll go to lunch and then I'll show you around the city!"

"_H-hai…_" Kiku replied, beginning to feel a little nervous and excited. This was actually happening!

Alfred apparently felt the same. "Dude, I can't believe this is actually- I wasn't expecting this day to be so awesome!"

"Nor was I," Kiku replied. Suddenly, however, a thought occurred to him. If this worked out… "Are we going to keep this… secret? I have a feeling you, more than I, will suffer some sort of consequence if this is discovered by others in the office…" Kiku had no idea how this might work here in the United States (or even back in Japan; it wasn't as if he had much experience with dating his bosses), but he assumed that superior-subordinate relationships were frowned upon.

Alfred frowned in thought. "That's true… but I'm not too worried about that. What're they gonna do? Fire me?" he chuckled slightly. "Anyway, yeah, we should probably keep this on the down low." Alfred grinned suddenly. "Ooh~! It'll be like one of those 'forbidden romance' things! Just like in the movies!"

Kiku raised an eyebrow, amused slightly, but still a bit worried. He didn't want Alfred getting into trouble because of him. He too, of course, would pretend that nothing had changed in their relationship. "If you say so…"

"Yup~!" Alfred replied cheerfully. Then, his watch beeped. Alfred looked down at it. "Holy crap, it's 7 already!"

"_Are?_ So late already?" Kiku said.

"Sorry, I've kept you too long, huh?" Alfred asked. "And on a Friday night too…"

"It is fine," replied Kiku. "Though I do need to leave…"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and go. I'm done 'yelling' at you now anyway," Alfred added with a smile. "So I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course," Kiku replied with a smile of his own. "_Oyasumi nasai,_" he added, heading for the door. There was so much to think about tonight!

"What's that mean?" Alfred asked.

"Good night," Kiku said as he went out the door. He grabbed his briefcase from under his desk and turned the handle to open the door that led to the rest of the office building when Alfred suddenly opened his own office door. Kiku took a step out as Alfred called out after him.

"Wait, Kiku, you forgot something!" Kiku turned, patting his pocket to see if he had everything. PDA, phone, he had his briefcase…

"Yes, Alfred-san?" he asked as Alfred approached him.

Alfred stooped down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Oh yah sue me!" he said, grinning.

_K-Kawaii…_ Kiku thought with a light blush. "A-Alfred-san-"

"Ohmigosh!" he heard from his left. Kiku turned and felt his cheeks redden more. Francis, Antonio, Gilbert and Elizaveta were all still there, and had apparently seen this last little exchange.

"Wh-what are they still doing here?" he asked in disbelief. They should all have left by now!

"Uh… You didn't see anything!" Alfred told the little group, a blush creeping on his shocked face as well. Apparently he hadn't noticed them either. "This totally did not just happen!"

Antonio, a confused expression on his sunny face, was about to say something when Francis covered Antonio's mouth. "Saw what?" Francis asked. "We saw nothing," he added with a wink. "Nothing at all, _oui_?" he asked his companions.

"I dunno what you're talking about, Francis," Gilbert replied with a smirk, taking out his phone. "I was too busy playing Angry Birds on my phone to see anything."

"And I was chatting with Antonio," Elizaveta said, a huge smile on her face as she looked at Kiku. "We were talking about finishing the Winston accounts." Antonio's eyes widened in realization and he nodded.

"_Si, si_, we were too busy to notice anything!"

"And now, we are leaving," Francis said, smirking as well.

Alfred sighed in relief. "J-just don't tell anyone," he asked. Kiku watched the four silently, surprised they were being so… considerate.

"Tell them what~?" Francis asked, tossing his hair behind his shoulder as he walked away.

"Yeah, what?" Gilbert asked, following, Antonio right behind him. Elizaveta also followed, turning briefly and pointing at Kiku, then at her phone, then at herself. _Text me_, she mouthed, then disappeared among the cubicles.

Alfred looked at Kiku. "S-sorry, I thought they were gone!"

Kiku sighed and shook his head. "It is okay, Alfred-san. As long as they do not say anything, there was no harm done, ne?"

"Y-yeah! Well, good night anyway," Alfred said with a sheepish smile.

"_Hai._ Good night," Kiku replied. The two looked at each other for another moment, then Kiku smiled slightly and left.

* * *

><p><em>So much to think about! <em>Kiku thought as he arrived home. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was all unreal, all a dream again. But no, he thought, unconsciously raising a hand to his lips. Those kisses had been real. And tomorrow, he had a date.

With Alfred.

And then much later that night, just before he fell asleep, the thought struck him.

_WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** No, seriously. What should he wear? XD

Uh, WOW, can I just say this in the most platonic way possible? I love you all~! There's pretty much no way this chapter will be up by Valentine's day… but if you want to give me fluffy ideas for a Valentine's day kinda thing, go for it~! :D I'm not promising I'll use it, but you never know~!

I don't know how to write kiss scenes. Clearly. orz

Uh… that's pretty much it. Oh, and of course:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAPAN! :D

I love all the fanart on tumblr for him. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!

(yes, I have a tumblr. ^^ Feel free to follow if you wish: chrysanthemum-44. It's purple and my theme is boring. It's incredibly nerdy, there's tons of Ameripan on it, and other random Hetalia-ness. ^^;)

Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks for the reviews~!

**lady-ribbon: **XD I hope the next few chapters make up for that. I don't know when you'll see this, but I have been reading all you reviews, so thanks so much for being such a faithful reviewer! :D

**angelsxdemons:** XD Thank you dear~

**BlueMoon:** XD only 11 chapters, exactly. Don't worry, I'm planning on doing much more with this. ^^

**Shylittlebunny09:** Aw, you're welcome~! ^^ I'm glad it makes you happy! :D XD That's the way to it all, isn't it? XD

**Moonlit Seas:** Aw, thanks sweetie~! :D

**Angel-chan Desu:** People shouldn't pick on you. D

Ah, yes, the flashback. I wanted to have you all like "WTH is going on?"

XD That was fun to write.

Ah, yes, proper procedure, of course.

It's fine, I like seeing your reaction to all the parts. XD

This chappy please you, I hope?

**Reijeux: -**revives**- **

Aw, thank you! :D Yay, I have accomplished my mission! I'm really glad you like it so much! ^^ I was worried you might all think it was too slow. ^^;

XD I love PruPan myself, so it was fun to write. XD

XD I think that was what most of you felt. XD

I hope this update was worth the wait? I'm really glad you like it so much! :D

**Pakkaskuningatar: **XD That seems to be the general consensus among you all. XD I'm glad you liked it!

**Honey-Chan12:** Aw, don't cry! I don't want to make you cry! But I'm glad you like it, and I will do my best to update quickly~!

**changeling17:** XD I'm glad you like it~! I will work as fast as I can! ^^

**Leafstar Skyclan:** Woot, tumblr=AWESOMENESS! ^^ I'm really glad you like it, and I agree, Ameripan doesn't get enough love! I hope I won't disappoint you!

**liondancer17:** -salutes- I will do my best!

**IgneusGlacies:** XD Sorry, I can only write so fast! I hope this appeases you? ^^

**herp:** Aw, thanks! I do try to keep it realistic, so I'm glad you appreciate it. And no worries, I'm just glad you like it. No need to thank me, I'm just glad you read it (also, this is really fun to write!)

**Lollypop-Otakuu**:No, no, de nada! Woo~ que bueno que te gusto! :D Ah si, bien peligrosos XD No he terminado con ellos~! Gracias por leer y comentar!

**ringosatou17:** Thanks so much! Oh, yay, I can apparently manipulate your emotions. XD Thanks for your review, I really do appreaciate it! :D I hope I don't disappoint you!

**PikoPiko-Chan:** XD

**IrisTheFlower :** ESP~ XD Your reactions are funny to read. And yes, they finally kissed XD. Woot, mission accomplished! I know I'm doing my job when I get fangirl squeals. XD Oh, yay, another Ameripan lover~~~! :D Don't worry about the length of the review, just say what you think! I really appreciate it! :D

**kiku-dii: **Of course it was a misunderstanding! I'm not going to be _that_ mean! XD

**:** XD Yay, duty fulfilled! :D Aw, you don't have to hide in the corner! Thanks for reviewing!

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame:** XD It only took 11 chapters! :D XD Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it!

**Paratale:** XD -bows- thanks! Well, I gave you a smidgen more, I hope that was sufficient for now?

**KikKatLuvaa: **D: fanart? :DDDDDDDD –so touched-

Aw! :( thanks for telling me though~!

**FlawlessStrange: **XD Thanks~! Yeah, it surprises me that it's not that popular (it's the AsaKiku and USUK that keep it from exploding into popularity, I think XD) Thanks for reading and reviewing~!


	13. Chapter 13

[Elizaveta: Try on the turtleneck again, but with the black jeans]

Kiku frowned at the text on his phone, but obeyed and stripped off his emerald sweater vest and white collared shirt in favor of a form-fitting grey turtleneck he had discarded earlier. He shimmied out of his trousers and tugged on the black skinny jeans he rarely wore. Smoothing out any wrinkles, Kiku adjusted his clothes in front of his bedroom mirror then raised his phone, snapped a picture of his reflection, and pressed "Send". While he waited for Elizaveta's reply, Kiku went back to his closet and hung up the top he'd just taken off.

_I cannot believe this is really happening,_ he thought fretfully as he hooked the coat hanger around a rack. _One day I am randomly hired by Alfred-san, the next, I am going on a date with him._ Kiku felt strange today. Definitely nervous, a bit of trepidation, some fear.

_What if Alfred-san changes his mind? What if he does not really like me, or finds me boring? What if he decides that this was all a mistake? What if what he said and did yesterday was just to prevent me from feeling awkward after admitting that I had affection for him and he is just going along with what he thinks I want him to, when really he does not feel the same way and we are just going to end up hurting each other and getting each other in trouble, as, after all, this sort of relationship is most likely not looked upon well, since he is my superior and he would most likely have to fire me and then I would have to look for another job, which was hard enough before I became emotionally involved with anyone and then they would want to know why I left my previous job and he would be my only reference in the United States, so it would be awkward to explain that it was because of an inappropriate relationship with my superior, who is male, which would not only cause a prospective employer to think twice, but also possibly shed bad light on Alfred-san, who seems to be rather discreet about the whole thing, which may cause customers to turn away from his business solely because of his sexual orientation, which would cause him to lose money, which would lead to him having to fire some people or even go bankrupt and then he and all the workers would be destitute and looking for jobs, and their families would be starving and all of it because of me!_

Okay, perhaps a lot of fear.

_I cannot do this. _Kiku reached for his phone. This was all happening so fast, so suddenly! The night before had been impulsive and ridiculous and he could absolutely not continue it. He was going to have to text Alfred and tell him that this really was all a mistake and that he was incredibly sorry, but he really was going to resign. It would be for the best. As his fingers curled around the slim iPhone, however, it vibrated. A text message.

[Eliazveta: YES. Now put on the scarlet coat, not the maroon, and gold scarf. And maybe go with the other shoes you showed me.]

Kiku sighed as he replied.

[Kiku: Elizaveta-san, I cannot do this.]

[Elizaveta: You're right, those are too blah. Go with the boots with the buckles.]

[Kiku: No, I mean the date. If I go through with it, you will all end up dying alone, starving, and freezing in an alley somewhere.]

[Elizaveta: what]

[Kiku: I am cancelling the date. I am going to call Alfred-san and apologize, then resign.]

Kiku pressed "Send" and then hesitated for a second before scrolling through his contacts. Where was it- aha! He found Alfred's name in his contacts and was about to call him when his phone rang.

"_Moshi moshi?_" he answered immediately.

"Kiku, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Elizaveta replied abuptly.

Kiku frowned. That was rather rude. "It means 'hello' in Japanese, used when one is on the phone-"

"Why are you going to cancel the date?" she continued, cutting him off.

Kiku sighed. Of course, that was what she meant. "This is a mistake. It will all end badly and it is best if I just leave this now. I do not wish to hurt anyone, especially not Alfred-san, so this is really my only option."

Silence for a second, then:

"Coward."

"Wh-what?" Kiku stammered, feeling both shocked and incredibly insulted.

"You are a coward," Elizaveta replied simply. "You freak out for months because you like this perfectly wonderful guy, you finally get the guts to talk about it, you even get a date with him and now, you're backing out."

"Not out of fear!" Kiku replied, offended. "I do not want to hur-"

"Yes, out of fear. We're all going to 'die alone, starving and freezing in an alley'? How does- What the _fuck_ kind of excuse is that?"

"A very reasonable one!" Kiku protested. "If this all goes badly, Alfred-san may end up losing face and then the company will fail and you will all be out of a job and-"

"Listen to yourself," Elizaveta said, exasperated. "Really? Really? You think that if you two get together and break up the entire world will fail or something? Let me set you straight, Kiku. Figuratively speaking, of course. Let's pretend that you two go out and break up. Let's even pretend that somehow, in some incredibly convoluted and completely nonsensical way, Alfred's company ends up failing (which isn't going to happen because you know damn well Alfred can keep his shit together when he needs to). You know what happens then? WE MOVE ON. Alfred's dad's loaded, Alfred himself has _plenty_ of money and guess what? COMPANIES FAIL ALL THE TIME. You know what people do? THEY GET ANOTHER JOB. It's frankly kind of insulting that you think we'd all die or something. You don't think we're good enough for something else? In this ridiculously impossible prediction of your's, we'll all be fine. You're just using stupid arguments to talk yourself out of this date because you're scared of this working out, because as great as you are, Kiku, you have one big problem. You don't like giving in to your emotions. And this is an emotional thing that you're too chicken to deal with. You never take risks!" Elizaveta took a breath, then concluded, "Therefore, you are a coward."

Kiku was dumbfounded. "I-I-I am not a coward! I risked many things coming over here to the United States, lost much with the relocation and took a risk with the job, and-"

"What about _emotional_ risks?" Elizaveta asked. "Last night was it? One little venture out of your shell and bam, you're hiding for good? It's not like you two are getting married! It's one date. A DATE. If it doesn't go well, oh well, you just come over to my house, I make you tea, we talk about it and watch some stupid movie while eating my awesome Hungarian chocolate cake to make you feel better and we deal with Alfred on Monday. And what do you mean, you don't want to hurt anyone, so you're going to cancel? Do you think Alfred would be all smiles and giggles with that? It's obvious to pretty much everyone that sees you two that you two like each other a lot. He _definitely_ likes you back! Ask yourself, Kiku, would he have kissed you if he didn't?"

"I-" Kiku opened his mouth to speak but didn't say anything. Was he really a coward? He really didn't want to hurt anyone; that was all. This had nothing to do with the fact that he was bad at handling his own feelings when it came to people that were close to him, not at all related to his preference to keep people farther away because it was easier than being friends with them for a long time, falling in love and then having to pick up his own pieces when it all fell apart. It had nothing to do with that. This was a realistic and completely valid reason to stop right now.

Clearly.

It was entirely feasible that something like that would happen.

Of course.

…

Oh, who was he kidding?

"I-"

"Come on, Kiku. As good as you are at telling what other people feel, you're kind of oblivious to yourself. Now, are you going to continue this stupid idea, or are you going to pull yourself together and go on this freaking date?" Elizaveta always was rather good at getting to the point and getting her thoughts across, Kiku thought; very direct. She was one of two people Kiku had ever been even slightly afraid of.

The other was his mother.

"… I am not a coward," he said once more. He may be many things, Kiku thought, but a coward was _not_ one. He would face this like a true Japanese man: full-on, facing forward, prepared for the worst.

"So, is that a-"

"I will go..."

"Yes!"

"But I did warn you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, you need to-"

_Arema_, thought Kiku as Elizaveta went off chattering happily again. He really was acting cowardly, childishly and stupidly. Elizaveta was right. He hadn't even properly gone on a date with Alfred and here he was, allowing his mind to run away with worries.

Not that he shouldn't be worried, but he was clearly worrying too much.

Or so Elizaveta said.

Whatever, he was still worried.

"Er, Kiku, you still there? It's getting kinda late, don't you think? You said he said 1. It's 12:30. I still need to see the final outfit!"

"O-oh, yes! I am running late!" Kiku went through his closet and found the ones Elizaveta had told him. Oh, why was he doing this, why, why, why? He pulled on his black socks, planning to put the boots later just before he left, and cradled the phone between his shoulder and neck as he did.

"Kiku~ I wanna see~!" she said, rushing him.

"Please wait a moment," he replied, standing up straight and fishing out his coat and scarf. "How should I wear the scarf?" he asked as he pulled on the coat. "Long, loose, circled, knotted?"

"Uh… do the circled one where only one of the ends hangs in the front," Elizaveta said.

"Very well." Kiku wrapped the scarf around his neck expertly, leaving one of the scarf's fringed ends dangling. He looked in the mirror then took a picture. "I am sending it now," he told Elizaveta as he sent the photo.

"Okay, waiting- just got it, I'm opening it now… PERFECT. This is absolutely perfect. Just- YES."

"Are you sure?" Kiku asked, turning his body this way and that, trying to examine his outfit from every conceivable angle. "It is not too bright? I think the scarf may be a bit much; perhaps a more understated color? A soft ivory, maybe?"

"Hmmm…" Kiku could hear Elizaveta tap on a hard surface through the phone. "Try it, and wear the scarf… just kinda draped over your shoulders this time." Kiku pulled off his current silk scarf in favor of a slightly off-white woolen one, which he then casually put around his neck. Again, he took and sent a picture.

"Ooh~ you were right! Nice choice! Now, let's go over what you'll do on the date."

"What do you mean?" Kiku asked. "Alfred-san and I are going to lunch, then he is showing me around the city and then, I believe, it is over. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Kiku could have sworn he _heard_ Elizaveta roll her eyes. "That's not what I meant. Okay, when he comes to pick you up, what are you going to do? Practice your greeting on me."

"… may I ask why?"

"Just do it, Kiku. Here, I'll make it easier for you." Elizaveta cleared her throat, then spoke again, deepening her voice. "Hey Kiku. I'm your totally awesome date, Alfred F. Jones. 'Sup?"

"…Alfred-san does not talk like that. I believe he would actually-"

"Ohmigosh Kiku, just go with it!"

Kiku sighed. "Fine." This made no sense to him. "Hello, Alfred-san," he answered dryly. "How are you?"

"Okay, first, if you talk to him like that, he's going to think you don't like him. Second, call him that other thing. The thingy you call Antonio's boyfriend and his brother."

"…kun?" Kiku asked. It was the only thing that made sense.

"Yeah, that. You said it's what you use for friends, right? If you're going out, and you've already made out twice, I think you can call him at least a friend."

Kiku felt his face redden as he recalled what Francis had told him that meant. "W-we did not 'm-make out'! It was just kissing, not… not that. And it would be inapp-"

"Inappropriate?" Elizaveta laughed. "You 'just kissed' him in his office, you're going on a date with him in like 20 minutes, and you work under him. I'm not trying to tell you not to go out with him, but you're a little past 'appropriate'. And seriously, go out with him, we've- I mean you've suffered too much to not to. Anyway, call him 'kun'."

"… but I would feel awkward calling him that… it would not show enough respect for him."

"Come on Kiku, I know what I'm talking about. Or, if you'd rather not, just call him Alfred. Everyone else does."

"No, no, no, no, no. That is _much_ too informal."

"So 'kun' it is."

"No, 'san' would be better," Kiku argued. Even though he often referred to Alfred as "kun" in his thoughts, he always corrected himself before he spoke.

"You're going to call him 'Alfred-kun', Kiku. And, while we're on the topic, you need to remember Alfred's American. He's probably got a different approach than what you're used to, so don't freak out if he wants to, like, hold your hand or-"

"Excuse me for a second," Kiku said, hearing a loud knocking. "Someone is at the door." Kiku picked up his boots and walked out of his room and to the door, holding his phone to his chest to muffle Elizaveta's voice as he peeked out a nearby window. It was Alfred, 15 minutes early. "Eto.. I will have to call you back," Kiku said to Elizaveta quietly as he watched Alfred. He was holding something behind his back and shuffling his feet nervously, glancing at the ground and at the door awkwardly, as if he was unsure if he was at the right place.

"Is he there already?" Elizaveta asked. "Remember what I said, call him-"

"Good bye, Elizaveta-san," Kiku said, lowering the phone.

"Text me when it's over!" he heard as he hung up. He peeped out again, watching as Alfred seemed to talk to himself gesturing and smiling at the door, then shaking his head with a frown. _How interesting…Is he… practicing? _ Alfred raised his hand to knock again and Kiku set down his boots, ran his fingers through his hair briefly, then opened the door just as Alfred was about to rap his knuckles against it. Alfred seemed surprised for a second, then gave his usual beaming smile.

"Kiku, hi! Um, I'm supposed to-" Alfred took his hands out from behind his back and pulled out a bunch of red-pink, many-petaled flowers. "I, uh, got you these!" Kiku took the flowers, startled. It was a rather beautiful bouquet of, of all things, chrysanthemums. "I, um, I Googled what your name meant," Alfred said, rubbing the sleeve of his royal blue coat nervously as Kiku held the bouquet up to his nose to sniff it. "And it said your name was 'Chyrsanthemum', so I got you, well," Alfred gestured towards the flowers. "But I don't know if flowers are too much for a first date, so… Anyway, I hope you like them!" he added with a smile, recuperating from his brief rambling.

Kiku was touched. Alfred had taken the time to do something thoughtful, had chosen a more personal gift. "_Arigato gozaimasu,_" Kiku said with a slight blush, holding the bouquet closer to his chest. "Would you… would you like to come in while I put these in a vase?" he asked, looking away from the flowers (they really were quite pretty) and looking over at Alfred.

"Sure!" Alfred said with a grin. Kiku stepped aside a little and gestured for Alfred to come in. "I take my shoes off, right?" he asked and slipped out of his shoes.

"Ah, yes," said Kiku, surprised. It seemed Alfred was also taking the time to learn about his culture; again, this was oddly endearing. Alfred finished taking his shoes off and looked around.

"Nice place you got here, Kiku. It's exactly what I expected, kinda Japanese-y, really neat, super organized," Alfred said as Kiku cradled the flowers in his elbow and pulled a vase out from a cupboard in the living room. "I like it!"

"Thank you very much," Kiku replied, feeling slightly awkward. Now that he thought about it, this was Alfred's first time visiting him and, no matter how brief the visit would be, he felt like he was letting Alfred into a deeper part of him, like Alfred's observance of his house was really scrutiny of Kiku himself.

_Well, at least he seems to like it so far…_ Kiku thought as he went to the kitchen to get water for the flowers. He filled up the vase with water partway, placed the flowers in carefully, then walked back to the living room with the vase to find Alfred looking at Kiku's collection of video games. Well, part of it, anyway. He had most of the games in a spare room he had; the games on the shelf in the living room were his personal favorites.

"OH MY GOD."

"What happened? Is something wrong?" Kiku asked, immediately concerned, as he looked to Alfred.

"YOU HAVE ALL THE LEGEND OF ZELDA GAMES." Alfred turned to Kiku, grinning enthusiastically. "All of them. Even the NES versions!"

"Ah, yes…"

"I freaking love Legend of Zelda. Like, you don't even know!" Alfred flailed his arms. "Just… ohmigosh!" Alfred continued grinning at Kiku, his eyes shining brightly with excitement.

"I… I have most of the merchandise as well," Kiku said, amused at Alfred's muted gasp.

"DUDE. That's awesome!"

"I can show it to you, if you wish," Kiku offered. It made him oddly happy to see Alfred so excited, and he felt eager to make Alfred continue to stay so happy.

"That'd be freaking amazing!" Alfred exclaimed. However, he seemed to remember something. "Oh… But we can't do it today…"

"Oh?" Kiku asked, surprised. He thought Alfred would immediately drop everything in favor of the games. But Alfred caught him off guard.

"Nah… we need to get going… even though I'd love to stay and see all your stuff. I'm kinda hungry and lunch is waiting for us. We've gotta stay on schedule!"

Kiku gave a small, entertained smile. "Would you like some help with the scheduling?" he asked. "It is, after all, my duty to help you with all these administrative details."

Alfred blushed slightly. "No, no, I've got this one! Besides, right now, I'm not your boss," he said with a sudden smile. "I'm your date. And we've got to get going~!"

"Ah, yes, of course. We must stay on your schedule, _ne?_"

"Yup~! Come on, I'll drive us there in a jiffy!"

* * *

><p>Alfred rarely drove, Kiku was informed. He kept the car for special occasions, using it only when necessary. Parking was a hassle in NYC and meters were annoying. Kiku nodded along as Alfred spoke and, as Alfred continued talking, Kiku felt himself forget he was on a "romantic" outing; Alfred was so easy to speak with, so naturally fun that Kiku simply felt as if the two of them were out as usual, perhaps on the way to a meeting with a client. It was very comfortable sitting with him in the car (a rather nice black Cadillac). Kiku and Alfred made it all the way into the moderately busy restaurant (Yao's, Kiku noticed curiously) and Kiku never thought anything of it.<p>

That is, thought nothing of it until the waiter arrived. "Hi. I'm Hong and I'll be your waiter, I guess." He was a young boy, a teenager still, with dark asymmetrical hair and a bored demeanor. "So, we've got two boyfriends today? My sister'd say you were cute together, I suppose" he said, stifling a yawn.

"_E-eto_, I-" Kiku said, blushing lightly, a part of him demanding he deny that he and Alfred were boyfriends (it was only their first date!), the other part of him embarrassed (and slightly pleased?) that he'd said they looked cute together.

Alfred glanced at Kiku and smiled. "We're just eating lunch," he said with a wink at Kiku. "And while we look at the menu, do you think I could talk to Mr. Wang?" he asked. "I'm a business friend of his, from RWB Finance."

"Ohhhhh. You're that silly American," the boy said, blinking in recognition, then glanced at Kiku. "And you're the Japanese dude that speaks Chinese and stood up to my uncle. Uncle Yao told me about you. That takes balls," the waiter said, a hint of admiration in his voice as he looked at Kiku. "I'll tell him you're here then, I guess." Hong put two menus on the table and strolled away as Alfred looked at Kiku, tilting his head.

"Stood up to him? What'd you say to him?" Alfred asked. "Was he badmouthing you when we came to visit? Is that what the whole conversation was about?"

"I… no, he was not speaking badly about me," Kiku said, hesitant to tell Alfred what had really happened for some reason.

Alfred frowned. "Then what was the whole thing about?" he asked, his eyes full of questions.

Kiku frowned slightly. "It was nothing."

"Come on, Kiku~! Tell me~!" Alfred said, a slight (but cute, Kiku thought) whine in his voice.

Kiku kept a straight face. "It was not very important…"

"Please~?" Alfred's eyes were shining brightly now, pleading.

"R-really, it was nothing."

"Don't you trust me, Kiku?" Alfred asked, sounding slightly sad. "I thought we were friends at least. But if you won't even tell me something little like that… you must actually not like me very much," he added, his face crumpling.

_K-Kuso._ Alfred was clearly trying to guilt trip him, but… that expression… it was impossible not to give in. "Of course I like you!" Kiku said, unable to keep ignoring Alfred's request. "I… what he said was-"

"I said you were stupid and incompetent," came a distantly familiar voice from behind Kiku. "And this one," said Yao as he came to the side of the table and gestured at Kiku with a motion of his head. "Made a vaguely convincing argument against me." Yao turned to Alfred, his hands crossed over his chest and a smirk playing on his lips. "He's the reason I hired you."

Alfred was clearly caught off guard. "O-oh! R-really?" he asked, looking at Kiku.

Before Kiku could reply, Yao scoffed. "I wouldn't lie to you about something as simple as that, American boy. Now, why did you ask to speak with me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I have things to do."

"Um, I was just going to ask if you're deal still stands?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, I guess, though it was intended so you could bring a date-" Yao stopped. His eyes widened and he did a double take before grinning widely. "I knew it! You two _are_ sleeping together!"

Alfred's and Kiku's eyes met and they both immediately turned red, looking away from each other.

"No, no, you are mistaken-"

"W-we're not- we're not sleeping t-together-"

"Ha ha!" Yao laughed. "I knew it! There's no use denying it!" he added knowingly.

"W-we are not!" Kiku maintained. "Th-this is just lunch." _Is it really that obvious that we are on a date? _Kiku thought, exasperated. _Two people already!_ It was a good thing they had decided to sit in a more secluded area of the restaurant, or the entire clientele might have found out!

"Mmhmm." Yao smirked. "Yes, the offer stands," he told Alfred. "But," he said, taking the menus from their hands. "I get to choose what you eat. Hong will bring the food out in a bit. And he'll bring you drinks too. Hong!" he called out.

The boy waiter's sigh was audible even from all the way across the restaurant and through the chattering of the other patrons. He walked over. "Yeah?"

Yao rolled his eyes. "Get these two drinks, then make your rounds. And stop fooling around!" he added as he made his way back to the kitchen.

"Whatever," he said. "Okay, what do you want?" _How tactless…_ mused Kiku. Alfred, however seemed to ignore it.

"I'll have a Coke. Plenty of ice." Hong scribbled something down then looked expectantly at Kiku.

"Do you have iced tea?" Kiku asked.

"Yeah, raspberry."

"I will take that then."

"Got it. It'll be out in a bit." Hong turned and ambled away and Alfred and Kiku were left alone once more.

Momentarily distracted, Kiku watched a new group walk into the restaurant, a blonde man with a large moustache, a woman in dark sunglasses, a teenager with large purple headphones and hoodie and a cheerful man with a curly brown beard. They sat down at a table near Alfred and him. He frowned. For some reason they looked vaguely familiar and -

Alfred waved his hand in front of Kiku. "Kiku~? Something interesting going on?"

"Ah, excuse me. Eto… no, not really." Kiku turned his full attention back to Alfred. "I was just momentarily distracted."

"Ah. Well…" Alfred twiddled his thumbs, looking at Kiku a bit uncertainly. "I kinda wanted to, um...say thanks again."

"Whatever for, Alfred-san?" asked Kiku, confused.

"For sticking up for me last time we came here." Alfred replied. "I, uh… I don't tell you this often enough, but you're kinda awesome." Alfred smiled at Kiku. "Really, really awesome."

"No, no, it was nothing," Kiku said with an amused smile, his hands folded neatly on the table.

"I'm serious! You don't realize how amazing you are!" Alfred exclaimed. "You don't even know how excited I am to be on a _date_ with you! It's like a dream. Seriously!"

Kiku blushed. Clearly, Alfred was exaggerating, but it still made him feel strangely warm inside. "I- I think I do know…" he said a bit nervously for some reason. "So far, this day has that feeling of… unreality about it."

"In a good way?" Alfred asked.

"Yes. A very good way," Kiku replied, taking amusement in Alfred's wide beam.

"Awesome!" he answered. "So far, so good!"

Kiku smiled at Alfred warmly as their waiter returned with the drinks. However, he had the strangest feeling, as if someone was watching him. He looked around quickly, but found nothing strange. Unless you counted the way the table next to them was all hiding their faces in the menus. But he was distracted again by their waiter's return."Food'll be out soon," Hong said as he set down the drinks. "He's a bossy jerkface, but Uncle Yao's food's really good… I guess," he added before turning to the table where the strange group had just sat down so he could take their orders.

Alfred ran a hand through his hair (_his hair looks so soft…_) then placed it on the table lazily, his fingertips brushing past Kiku's hand. Kiku inched his hand away and lifted his drink, taking a bit through the bendy straw that came with it. _A bent straw… I have not used one of these in a while,_ Kiku thought as he set the drink back down. Alfred moved his hand again, just ghosting past Kiku's again and Kiku once more moved his hand away. _I am so in the way,_ Kiku thought, taking his hands and putting them in his lap. Alfred frowned.

"So," Alfred said.

"So?" Kiku replied.

"How's your transition to the United States been?" Alfred asked. "You like it so far, right? Best country in the world?" he said with a grin.

"Well, it has certainly been interesting," Kiku said, taking a hand stirring his tea with the straw. "When I first moved here, I was actually completely comfortable, if you do not include the fact that it was a different country. I spoke the language, I had coworkers moving here as well. It was fine. But then," he said, using a napkin and wiping up a drop of condensation that had dripped onto the table. "The entire transfer from my company fell through, and I, unlike my coworkers, was unable to move back because I had been too prepared to move here. It was a bit ironic, actually," Kiku said with a small smile at Alfred. "I had been so ready to come here that I forgot to think about what would happen if I had to move back. It would have been a huge hassle to return to Japan, especially when I had already made such permanent arrangements."

"Oh. So, do you… want to move back?" Alfred asked, a little crestfallen.

"Eventually, perhaps," Kiku replied. "But at the moment, I am rather enjoying my time here. I've met some wonderful people," he added with another smile and tilt of his head. And it was true. He really did like being here, especially, he thought, with Alfred.

Alfred grinned. "That's good! I want you to stay," he exclaimed.

"Yes, at the moment, I would like to stay as well."

The two smiled at each other and Kiku spent some time studying Alfred's smile. Seeing him happy always made Kiku smile as well, but he didn't know why… what was it? The wide grin, all gleaming teeth (Americans all had such straight, white teeth, Kiku had noticed. It was a bit eerie sometimes…)? The way his cheekbones made such endearing little hills under twinkling eyes that smiled by themselves, framed by little creases that only emphasized his glee? The way his eyebrows were always so expressively angled to match whatever emotion he was displaying? Or was it that sincerity, that genuine delight that exuded so readily from him?

Kiku couldn't figure it out, but… there was something about Alfred that just… attracted him.

"Hey love-birds, your food's here." Kiku blinked and tore his eyes away. Their waiter was standing with a hand on his hip, holding an enormous platter with his other hand.

Kiku moved his hands off of the table, blushing slightly; he'd been caught. The waiter ignored him, however. He just put down a few plates. "Sharkfin soup. The next course'll be here in a bit."

"Thank you," Kiku said.

"Yep, thanks!" Alfred said as well. Kiku wondered if Alfred had noticed he had been staring, but since Alfred began squirting liquids from different bottles into his soup, he assumed Hong had been the only one to catch him.

"_Itadakimasu,_" Kiku said and dipped his spoon into the soup.

"Eetadateemass what?" Alfred said, his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"_Itadakimasu._'Thanks for the food' is how it is commonly translated," Kiku replied, taking a spoonful of the soup. _Mmm. _Their waiter had been correct; it was delicious.

"Oh! Er, then bone apehteet! That's French," Alfred offered. A hacking noise came from his side and Kiku turned to the table next to him, where the blonde man with the mustache seemed to be having a coughing fit. The boy in the purple hoodie snickered into his drink and the mustached man shot a glare at Alfred, muttering a string of words in some foreign language. _How strange…_ _he reminds me of Francis-san._

_No, no, what a silly thought._

Kiku turned back to his soup and continued eating. If the rest of the meal was this good, he may have to patronize Yao's House of Wok a bit more often.

* * *

><p>"Ohmigoshhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Alfred groaned, a hand on his stomach as he set his fork down. "That was awesome!"<p>

Kiku had set his chopsticks down a while ago, half of his food still on his plate. He had eaten quite a lot and felt that sleepy numbness setting in already. How Alfred had managed to eat every last bite was beyond him. "Indeed it was."

"Dessert?" asked Yao, who had appeared just now, again smirking.

"Uh….." Alfred said, considering it. "Kiku?"

"Not for me, thank you," Kiku replied. He briefly wondered if this was how Yao kept his restaurant going: feed his customers so much delicious food that they were immobilized and were forced to spend the rest of their lives imprisoned in the restaurant. Kiku almost snorted; what a ridiculous thought.

"Then, no thanks. I gotta say man, that was amazing," Alfred told Yao. "Thanks so much!"

"Of course it was amazing," Yao replied. "You will have to try the dessert next time you come." He seemed fairly sure in his statement; Alfred and Kiku would definitely be coming back was clearly what he meant. Kiku's theory had been half right then.

"For sure!" Alfred exclaimed. "Time to go, Kiku?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be fine with me." Yao moved aside and the two stood up. "_Xie xie,_" Kiku said to Yao in thanks. Yao simply raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"_Douitashimashite aru,_" he replied, his accent showing through. Kiku blinked, surprised he'd answered in Japanese. However, he felt it was a sort of show of respect for him for some reason. Alfred watched, clearly slightly confused, but Kiku smiled at him reassuringly and they began to leave. As they left, Kiku noticed the people at the table next to them leaving as well. This was strange, he thought, but before he could investigate properly, Alfred was waving at him from the door and Kiku left, still confused. He had a suspicion, but…

"Thank you for the meal, Alfred-san."

"No problem! And I should be thanking you, since it was you that got me hired," Alfred said, rubbing the back of his neck with a coy grin.

"But it was your excellent work that caused him to offer you a free meal," Kiku replied. "He would not have done so if your work were not superb."

"Eh," Alfred said, clearly pleased. "It's just my job."

"But you do it very well, Alfred-san."

Alfred blushed with the compliment and Kiku felt oddly victorious for some reason. "Heh, thanks!" Alfred unlocked the car via remote. "So, wanna see the Empire State Building?"

"I see it all the time," Kiku replied, pointing it out, rather proud of himself for being able to pick it out by name.

"Oh, but have you seen it from the inside?" Alfred asked as they walked to the car. "It's totally different, and there's no need to worry about waiting in line; I can get us in pretty quickly. I know a guy."

"Ah, you are connected then, Alfred-san?" Kiku asked. That was interesting. Alfred gave the impression that he was quite the regular person, but Kiku had heard from various people that he was actually quite wealthy and connected, which made him wonder about Matthew. Why was he only the company secretary? Not that he would ask, of course.

"You could say that, I guess," Alfred said as he opened the car door for Kiku. Kiku got in the car, but frowned slightly. He didn't need assistance getting in. Not that Alfred noticed as he closed the door and went around to the driver's side. "Anyway, I hope you're ready, 'cuz we're going to do a lot of walking!"

"Of course," Kiku replied. What did Alfred have in mind for them today? He put on his seatbelt, and as he did so, he noticed the mustached blonde man hailing a cab and speaking to his companions rapidly. Kiku was suspicious once more, but decided to ignore it for now. After all, he was on a date with Alfred, and it would be rude not to give him his full attention.

Alfred turned the car on. "Then let's go~!"

* * *

><p><em>Several hours later…<em> (**A/N: **I'm lazy. Sorry. orz Just imagine it.)

Laughing quietly, Kiku slid into the car and Alfred closed the door for him. At first, Kiku had been slightly annoyed by Alfred's action; after all, Kiku was not a woman, and he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. However, Kiku quickly realized that Alfred was not patronizing him; he was really just being his usual innocently charming self.

Besides, Kiku found it fairly difficult to remain even a little irritated at Alfred, despite the fact that he had a few reasons to be: Alfred had stepped on his boots, scuffing them, while they were walking; Alfred had almost spilled hot coffee on him when they stopped for a drink (Kiku thankfully had good reflexes); and, of course, the thing that caused Kiku's slight amusement: Alfred had gotten them lost in one of the shopping districts and they had ended up making circles on Broadway for about half an hour before Alfred finally found the car. Not to mention the fact that he still felt as if they were being followed. However, Kiku had actually quite enjoyed the day, though he was certainly ready to go home.

Alfred opened the driver's side door and slid in as well. "So, uh, sorry about that… but hey, we found the car! Alfred F. Jones saves the day again!" Alfred exclaimed with a grin.

Kiku smiled. "Of course," he replied. "My hero."

"Heh, yup! Oh, hey, Kiku, can I, uh, show you one more thing?"

Kiku frowned ever so slightly. "_Eto…_" It wasn't that he didn't want to spend more time with Alfred- far from it- but he was tired and he wanted to go home and properly think about everything. What would he do next? This date had happened, and he was willing to see Alfred again, though he still wondered what repercussions this may have at work. At this point, he was fairly certain Alfred liked him, but he still had many questions. Besides, it was getting a bit late. The sun was going to set soon and it was getting dark.

"I promise it'll be really quick. It'll only take a sec, and I think you'll really like it!" Alfred maintained.

"…"

Alfred's face fell a little with the hesitation. "It'll be really awesome, I promise! Come on Kiku, please? "

"…very well then." _Why is it so difficult to say no to him?_

Alfred's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes! Okay, we have to hurry, but it'll be great, I promise." Alfred turned the car on. "You'll love it, I swear."

"Mmm." Kiku wondered what Alfred would be showing him. He'd essentially gotten a tour of the city already. However, he did not have long to muse, as Alfred soon pulled into a parking lot.

"Come on, come on!" Alfred muttered, looking for an empty space. Kiku wondered what the rush was. Perhaps whatever Alfred was going to show him was not visible in the dark and the sun's setting would keep him from showing Kiku?

"Do not worry, Alfred-san, we can always come back."

"But I wanna show you tod- FOUND ONE!" Alfred pulled into the space quickly and practically ran out of the car. "Come on Kiku!" Kiku removed his seatbelt and went to open the door, only to have Alfred swing it wide and grab his hand, pulling him out of the car. "We're gonna miss it!"

Kiku struggled to maintain his balance and shut the car door as well as Alfred dragged him along, pulling him, Kiku noticed with a slight blush, by the hand.

"Hurry Kiku!" Alfred said.

"A-Alfred-san, the car!"

"Oh, right, that thing." Alfred locked the car with the remote as he ran with Kiku towards a mess of trees. This was a park, obviously, but it looked quite large. The sky was turning pink with the sun's descent and Kiku could see people walking towards the parking lot now. What was Alfred so excited about?

Alfred continued to yank Kiku along, his grip firm as they headed towards a hill.

"Look, look!" Alfred exclaimed, pointing in front of him as the approached the crest of the hill. They reached the top and Alfred immediately sank to the ground, pulling Kiku with him.

"Look where- Ah!" Kiku said as he fell on his leg, falling onto Alfred. What had been so important- Alfred gently turned Kiku's head towards the sky.

Kiku gasped.

From this spot, the sun was setting into the peaks of the trees of the park, painting a beautiful picture. The reds and golds of the sun's rays bled together into pink fingerprints, the sun's golden disk burning dark like an ember, all of it framed by a purple tinged sky that slowly enveloped the fading light. The park was incredibly quiet, not a bird's chirp or a cricket's song playing as the world slowly fell into darkness. Absolute peace.

Kiku stopped fidgeting, still poised awkwardly between sitting and crawling, staring instead at the sky with eyes wide, trying to absorb every last color of the setting sky, the stillness of the animals, the brisk air that caressed the leaves of the trees, the warmth Alfred's for once unmoving body gave off as they watched night rise.

The sun finally retreated behind the trees and instantly, the magic was broken; the little chattering of insects began once more, birds began singing in their choir once more, and Kiku looked back up at Alfred, whose eyes seemed absolutely calm and content.

This was something important to Alfred, something personal and intimate that he had been shown, Kiku realized, as if he had been shown the very depths of Alfred

… and it was beautiful.

Alfred looked back down at Kiku and smiled.

"Told you you'd love it."

Kiku blinked, then smiled back up at him.

"Yes… very much..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

**THIS CHAPTER IS SO EFFING LONG. OTL**

Did I mention I actually kinda don't like this one? :P Also, kinda lazy towards the end, sorry. It was getting long.

This was SO CHEESY how can you stand to read it?

The blonde mustached man and his bearded brunette companion, female friend and teenage son were, you guessed it, the BTT + Elizaveta. XD They're kinda quietly stalking…

Hong is Hong Kong. I didn't know what else to call him. I don't like "Kaoru" for him, so… -shrugs-

I'm sorry it took so long to update. orz

Holy crap on a stick, I'm on chapter 14 already. DX

Thank you all for all your reviews and love and everything.

I love you all~!

* * *

><p><strong>Review Replies~ (HOLYSHIT SO MANY):<strong>

**ProfAwesome: **

PFFFT, what? XD ^^; I'm flattered! :D And yes, I'm continuing it.

Ooh, that sounds interesting. Aw, that's so nice! :D

DEM TYPOS. –bad at proofreading-

Thanks for the review! :D

**Whimsical Desert: **Aw, don't worry! Anything you say is awesome! :D

Aw, thanks! That's so sweet! :D I don't know what my next fic project is because this one is so damn long. XD Aw, you're too nice, I'm glad you like it that much. I hope this update was good!

**amy rose but no the real one: **Aw, thanks!:D I hope this chapter was good!

**kaz320:**

ASDFGHKL;

I just… wow. Can I… Can I hug you? :'D

I've never seen such a thoughtful, wonderfully detailed review.

I just… wow! Okay, I know you said not to reply to this, but I would feel horrible not doing so, especially when you clearly took a significant amount of time to write this incredibly in-depth review.

First off: Great English! I saw on your profile that you're from Japan (:D) and that English is not your first language. Let me just tell you, you write incredibly well. Your vocabulary is amazing as well. ^^ It may seem a little sad, but there are plenty of native speakers that couldn't write this eloquently.

You are certainly welcome! Thank you for reading it! No, no need to apologize for just reading, I love all my readers! I'm glad you like it so much. And again, thanks so much for reviewing, especially so specifically.

:'D Y-you like my Alfred? Thank you so much; I really do try to keep him in character, and in my head canon, he's just as you said. He tries hard, he's not always sure of himself (but he always has the best intentions) and he's charismatic. He's also not the best at keeping his emotions hidden (this is where he and Kiku are so different). Thanks, it means so much that you think I have skill. XD orz

Yay! :D I've actually only seen a few episodes of Hetalia in English, but I've seen all the original (albeit subbed) episodes. I suppose my head canon simply veered off into what the English version ended up being (I agree, he does seem more vulnerable; however I absolutely adore his voice actor in the Japanese version, whereas the English dub seems rather.. meh. But I digress.)

Oh, yes, I definitely agree. The English version Alfred seems crass to me sometimes. I'm kind of like, "Whoa. That was kinda mean," whereas with the Japanese version, Alfred seems a lot more relatable and not nearly as obnoxious, just a tad oblivious at times. Thanks again, that really means a lot to me!

M-masterpiece? orz You are much too kind. Ah ha ha, you like the Prupan? –a total fan of them too (I think that might be my next fic?)- XD Chapter 5 was certainly fun to write, I will say that. I was half tempted to have some more ship teasing for Prupan, but I decided that it might be too much and that not all of you necessarily like it. And don't worry, I kind of wanted it to be true too… but I did promise Ameripan. XD And you can always say that that's what ended up happening. I like that idea, actually, that Gilbert liked him, but gave it up. I'm not offended at all! :D I'm actually delighted that you thought about it enough to come up with your own theory for it. :D

PFFT TALENT. You make me laugh, my dear. And thank you so much for this amazing review! Seriously, no need to apologize for this review AT ALL. It was my pleasure to read your thoughts on my story. I hope I keep you pleased!

_**Part 2:**_You reviewed twice, oh my gosh. Yes, I did know that (it makes the Prupan fan in me happy xD). Ah, I see!

^^; I've been doing it wrong, haven't I? The whole honorifics thing? Orz

Aw, thank you! You really are too kind.

Heh, yeah, I liked writing that part. XD

**Seafoam PurpleCurtains:** I- that's actually a really great comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope I keep you pleased!

**Moonlit Seas: **^^ I'm glad you liked it! :D I'll give it a read as soon as I have time!

**Angel-chan Desu: **Ha! XD

Ooh, really? –mission accomplished-

Heh, thanks~ :D Aw, I am loved! :D

I love that idea and I'll use it in another chapter. –ideas swirling- Thanks!:D

**:** XD Thanks!

**Kohaku Megumi:** Yay, stalkers. XD Aw, that sucks! :/ Meanies hacking.

The impossible? No, no, the impossible is all of you liking this. orz

-afraid of writing kissing scenes or anything like that-

I do keep them in character? YES. Yay! :D

Ah, Sam. I created her to be hated… XD

Ah, yes, I'm glad you noticed that!

Any constructive criticism is amazing, thanks for looking! :D

**Shylittlebunny09:**

XD I had to get him to kiss Alfred somehow. XD

Heh, he is quite the charmer. XD Thanks for reviewing! :D

**angelsxdemons: **I only know because I RP him. XD Aw, I'm glad you liked it! And lol.

**Pakkaskuningatar:** asdfghjkl; Really? :D I just think I suck at this in general. orz

I won't answer that. ;D

**kiku-dii: **XD I take it that means you approve? XD

**RedRibbon of Fate: **Aw, thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Ah, yes, I saw it!

**Lunarangel's Dark Flame: **Kiku's silly like that. XD That sounds cute and I may use that idea at a later date! Thanks so much for reviewing! :D

**Kowai Aoi Bara:** Aw, that's so sweet! :D But you should pay attention in class. .-.

Aw, you are so nice! I hope you continue to enjoy it! :D

**RAWRtheartist: **Heh, I couldn't help writing that. xD Thanks so much! :D Almost as awesome as Prussia? :DDDDDDD

**Lollypop-Otaku: **XD Igualmente, por eso lo puse. A, te gusto? XD Espero que te gusto la ropa y que este capitulo estaba bien.

**xIkuna:** XD Thanks and I hope the wait was worth it! :D

**ZeroLuver567:** Thanks dear! :D

**IrisTheFlower: **^^; -updates again like a month later-

Aw, yay. XD

Gotta love the BTT. XD

Awkward Kiku~~~

Ah, yes, that part was fun to write. XD

Totally agree, actually, Alfred's a cheeseball. XD

Yeah, update… soon. Orz

**Lady-ribbon: **XD yup.

XD I know, finally. XD

Ah, yes, Sam. Don't worry, you can hate her. XD


	14. Chapter 14

_Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle._

_Turn right at the path, enter _**WORLD: SKYLINE**.

_Walk, walk, walk._

_Enter the _**VILLAGE: RWB FINANCE**_ , greet _**GATEKEEPER**_**: **_**MATTHEW**_, exchange pleasantries._

_Shuffle further in, report in, meet with _**RED MAGE: ELIZAVETA**_, esteemed member of your party._

_Continue walking, turn left at the square._

_Avoid _**TROLLS: GILBERT** _and_ **ANTONIO**.

_Skirt around _**MINI-BOSS: FRANCIS**. *_Hint: easy to defeat, but very annoying, persistant. _WEAKNESS-_ "_NOT AMUSED_" attack; "_THINLY VEILED BUT POLITELY WORDED THRE_AT" spell._

_Navigate through _**MAZE: CUBICLES**.

_Arrive at _**PUZZLE DUNEGEON: OFFICE SPACE**.

Hmmph, Kiku thought. He'd played this level countless times; this was too simple. The puzzles were usually the same and, once solved, easy to remember. No challenge at all.

_But suddenly, a WILD _**ALFRED** _appeared!_

Nothing too difficult. It was Alfred; a simple "good morning" was usually sufficient. Kiku prepared to initiate "POLITE AND GENUINELY PLEASED GREETING" maneuver.

_ALERT! WILD __**ALFRED**__ has leveled up! He has gone from "_**LEAD ATTRACTIVE BISHONEN RECEIVING UNREQUITED AFFECTION FROM MINOR SUPPORTING CHARACTER" CLASS, LEVEL 9 **_to "_**BOYFRIEND" CLASS, LEVEL 1**. _"_POLITE AND GENUINELY PLEASED GREETING_" may be ineffective!_

Kiku blinked; he hadn't thought of that yet. Now what was he supposed to do? No, he had to calm down, this was easy: he was the puzzle master! What were his other options?

"IGNORE GREETING"

No, no, that was intended for enemies.

"SUPER POLITE BOW DESU"

No, he and Alfred were more familiar than that.

"WESTERN HANDSHAKE"

He'd forgotten he had that one.

"RUN AWAY"

Ha.

Time was running out!

Oh, another option?

**KIKU** _has leveled up! He has risen from "_**MINOR SUPPORTING CHARACTER WITH UNREQUITED AFFECTION FOR LEAD ATTRACTIVE BISHONEN" CLASS, LEVEL 9** _to _"**CONFUSED BOYFRIEND", LEVEL 1**. _New option!_

"KISS AND HUG"

No. No, no, no, it was a public setting, this was inappropriate.

"KISS AND HUG" _spell may be most effective on _**ALFRED.**

No, here was not the time, right? Perhaps a simpler maneuver? But what could he do?

_TIME IS RUNNING OUT! _**ALFRED**_ has almost reached the _**DESK**!

He wouldn't ignore him, but he wouldn't kiss him; their relationship was only at level 1!

_Time is up! First move to _**ALFRED. ALFRED** _has initiated _"HUG". _Defend?_

What could he do, what could he do?

"HUG" _imminent!_

In a moment of panic, Kiku did the first thing he could think of.

"WESTERN HANDSHAKE" _initiated!_

"Alfred-san, good morning!" Kiku exclaimed, taking one of Alfred's hands and pumping his arm up and down. "How are you today? Well, I hope!"

_What am I doing?_

Alfred gave Kiku a confused look, but returned the handshake. "Uh, hi! I'm fine… but what's with the, er…" he gestured towards their hands.

"Nothing, I simply…" Kiku trailed off, his earlier RPG reverie wearing off. As much as he hated to admit it, this was all incredibly confusing. He didn't know what to do.

How he was supposed to deal with this? He'd never dated his boss before! What was the protocol for this?

"I-" Kiku let his hand drop, but Alfred kept his hold on it.

"Yeah… I know what you mean." Alfred smiled nervously. "I've never done this before, so… but I really want this to work!" he continued seriously, taking Kiku's hand with both hands now. "I know this is awkward for me, so it's gotta be even stranger for you, but if we just-"

"-pretend that all is as usual?" Kiku asked, finishing Alfred's thought. That seemed the most logical thing.

"Yeah!" Alfred said, his smile becoming that genuine beam of his. He squeezed Kiku's hand and Kiku returned the smile.

"Yes, I think that would be best," Kiku agreed. "So at work, we are-"

"- Mr. Jones and his awesome secretary, Kiku!" Alfred grinned. "But after hours is a different story!" Alfred winked.

"Yes_, _of course," Kiku replied, amused. "But at the moment… "he glanced down at their hands.

"Ah! Yeah!" Alfred dropped his hand. "Then…" Alfred cleared his throat. "Good morning, Kiku! Are you ready for a good, long day of hard work?" He gave Kiku what Kiku thought of as his "professional smile", though his eyes twinkled with his previous emotion.

"Of course, Alfred-san," Kiku replied, bowing his head towards Alfred.

"Awesome!" Alfred grinned. "If you need me, I'll be in my office then!"

"And I will be here, as usual."

"Great!" And with that, Alfred went into his office and Kiku sat at his desk, beginning this day's tasks. He would make it work, he thought to himself. Kiku had faced more difficult things than pretending nothing had happened; he could easily get through the day, he hoped.

* * *

><p>It had only been a few hours at work when Kiku's phone vibrated.<p>

_Bzz. Bzz_.

Kiku's picked the slender iPhone up, turning away from his computer screen, where he was doing some invoices. He opened his text message. It was from Alfred.

[Alfred: Kiku~ hi! :)]

Kiku frowned at the message, then rolled his chair over a few inches so he could see in Alfred's office, where the door was open. "Yes, Alfred-san?"

Alfred looked up, then waved him away, mouthing "No!" repeatedly. Shaking his head, he pointed at his phone, then mimicked texting and looked at Kiku, smiling almost mischievously. Kiku blinked. Alfred wanted Kiku to text him?

"But I am right here-"

Alfred shook his head hastily, pointing at his phone once more. "Text!" he mouthed, "Text!"

Kiku frowned slightly. "…" This was making no sense to him, but if Alfred wanted to… Slowly, Kiku pointed at his nose, indicating himself, then at his phone. He copied Alfred's "texting" action, then looked over at Alfred, his eyebrows meeting in question. Alfred grinned and nodded happily, emphatically.

Kiku nodded slowly, still a bit bemused, then rolled his chair back to text at his desk.

[Kiku: Hello, Alfred-3.]

[Alfred: Hiya! What's the 3 for?]

[Kiku: 3 is pronounced san in Japanese.]

[Alfred: .-.]

[Kiku: …?]

[Alfred: We're texting. ._. Can't you drop the san thingy?]

[Kiku: But we are also at work.]

[Alfred: :/ ]

[Kiku: Why are we texting, if I may ask?]

[Alfred: Cuz that's what couples do, silly~]

[Kiku: But we can speak face to face. I am literally 5 seconds away from you.]

[Alfred: But we're at work! ouo] Kiku shook his head in amusement. Alfred was clever, using Kiku's own argument against him.

[Kiku: This is true. But, as you said, we are at work. Should we not be… working?] Kiku, of course, was not one to back down so easily.

[Alfred: But I'm the boss! eue] Alfred's trump card. Kiku stared at the message, unsure if he should laugh or not. He decided on a light-hearted rebuke.

[Kiku: Alfred-3, you are silly.]

[Alfred: :D]

[Kiku: ^-^]

[Alfred: 3]

Kiku blushed slightly at the little heart icon. This was still new for him, realizing that he and Alfred were together. He wasn't really one to show affection so outright, but…

[Kiku: … 3 ^^;]

He rubbed his neck after the message sent. Sending little texts like this at the office… he shouldn't, he knew that, but Alfred was difficult to say no to.

[Alfred: :D 3333333333333]

This time Kiku let out a quiet laugh. These texts were silly, but he felt a bubble of warmth expand inside; Alfred did know how to make him smile. But, he reminded himself soberly, relationships were always like this early on. As… well, happy as he was now, that might all change once Alfred got bored by him.

Suddenly, Kiku's desk phone rang. Quickly, he texted a reply to Alfred; Alfred probably heard the phone ringing as well.

[Kiku: Sorry, but I must get back to work.]

[Alfred: :( OK… Lunch?]

[Kiku: Of course.]

[Alfred: Yay! See you then! :)] And with that, Kiku picked up the phone, his voice oddly cheerful as he answered.

"Good morning, you have reached RWB Finance, Mr. Jone's office. This is Kiku Honda, how may I help you?"

"Yes, hello, this is…"

Kiku nodded along with the caller. Another client, just business as usual at RWB Finance. But now, instead of being entirely focused on his work, Kiku could feel himself lose just a tad of his usual concentration as his thoughts, now more than ever, drifted towards the bright eyed blonde in the office behind him.

* * *

><p>This really was strange, Kiku thought as he followed Alfred out of the office. They were the last two out; it was late already, around eight. What did he do now, Kiku wondered. He had no idea what it was that one did dating one's boss. And even if Alfred hadn't been his superior, it had been a while since Kiku had been in a relationship, and even barring that, Kiku had never dated a westerner before. Well, not really, considering the last one had been raised in Japan… but nonetheless, there was a difference between their relationships. Westerners were clearly more open about them, holding hands and even kissing in public. He had no idea what else they were accustomed to.<p>

For example, at the moment, Alfred had invited him over and had offered to at least give him a ride home. Did that imply anything beyond a literal dinner and ride home? Kiku frowned, but had agreed to let Alfred take him home. Both were in the parking garage as Kiku was pondering this as Alfred explained that he decided he wanted to start driving his car, or rather, cars, Kiku amended, noting the new electric blue sports car Alfred was gesturing towards.

Was Alfred trying to impress him? He mused silently, holding back a smile as Alfred spun his keys around his index finger, grinning at Kiku before the key ring made its way to the tip of his finger and flew off.

"Ah!" His eyes widening, Alfred lunged for the keys, catching them just before they crashed to the ground. "Ha ha, that was close!" he said, standing up straight and smiling a bit nervously as Kiku's smile broke through. "But, uh, whaddya say?" he asked, shrugging slightly. "I'll feed you some of my awesome burgers~ It's a secret recipe passed down by my family," he added. "And it's delicious~!"

Well, he was a bit hungry. And Alfred was not one to be subtle about things… "Then I will accept," he replied, smiling. "On the condition that you join me for dinner some time."

Alfred's smile grew into a large grin. "Of course, Keeks, I'd love to!"

Kiku returned his smile, actually letting out a small laugh as Alfred's stomach growled audibly. "Then we should get going, ne?" Alfred's cheeks turned a light pink.

"Yeah, uh, no worries! I'll get us there in a jiffy!" Alfred said, unlocking the car remotely and, as was quickly becoming his custom, Kiku noted, opened the door for Kiku.

"Thank you," he said, getting in. Alfred closed the door after him, then jogged over to the driver's side. Getting in quickly and putting his seatbelt on, Alfred inserted his keys into the ignition and gave them a twist. The car turned on with a very satisfying roar and Alfred quirked an eyebrow at Kiku. Kiku smiled to himself. It seemed Alfred _was _trying to impress him. He closed his eyes in quiet amusement. There was no need for these displays; simply Alfred's presence was enough. He was about to say so when Alfred made the car pull out of its space.

"Yeah baby~" he grinned as the car purred along. "She's one of my favorites," Alfred confided. "Sasha's great."

"Sasha?" Kiku asked. "Do you mean the car?"

"Heh," was Alfred's reply as they drove onto the main road, leaving the parking structure. "Yeah…"

Just how many cars did Alfred have? The two he'd seen so far seemed rather luxurious, in Kiku's opinion. Just how wealthy was Alfred? From his visit to Alfred's loft apartment, he definitely had money, but it hadn't seemed overly resplendent. High tech gadgetry, mostly, and good quality furnishings.

Ah, well, it would be rude to ask.

"…I name my gaming consoles, if that is any consolation," Kiku shared. "My PSP is named Hikaru."

Alfred brightened immediately. It was so easy to make him smile, Kiku thought; but so satisfying as well. "Oh! That's a cool name."

"I am glad you think so," Kiku replied.

"So, what's the story behind that?" Alfred asked, his eyes on the road as he drove.

"Well," Kiku began. "It started with… "

As he told the story, Kiku watched Alfred. Every once in a while, he would turn, an expression appropriate for that part of the tale on his face. Alfredwas very expressive, Kiku observed. He'd noticed this before, of course, and he kept finding more and more proof. Alfred's eyes, especially, showed his every feeling, though his glasses blocked the view a little. At the moment, Alfred actually seemed entirely enveloped in Kiku's silly story, his blue irises glimmering with interest. They reminded Kiku of the sky after a particularly heavy rain: so fresh, so deep, so-

"Kiku, is something wrong?" Alfred asked, looking at Kiku quickly, then turning back to the road. "You're looking at me kinda funny," he continued, the car smoothly braking at a stoplight.

"Eto, I…" Kiku felt his cheeks redden a little. "Your eyes…" he mumbled.

"My… eyes?"

Kiku nodded, continuing to look at Alfred.

"O-oh."

A quiet moment, then Kiku, feeling oddly emboldened, leaned forward towards Alfred. Alfred looked at him, his eyes full of confusion, and perhaps, Kiku thought as he closed his own eyes, a dawning realization. His lips slightly parted, he tentatively closed the gap remaining between the two, kissing Alfred softly .

Alfred inhaled quietly before returning the kiss, a bit confused at first, clearly, but then more enthusiastically. Kiku couldn't quite warp his head around the idea that he was allowed to do this, that Alfred was _his_ boyfriend, that he could really just kiss him whenever he wanted to and no one could really stop hi-

_HONK!_

Startled, the two broke apart as a chorus of angry blaring emitted from the cars behind them. The light had turned green, apparently, and they were holding up the others.

"Oh, fu-" Alfred turned back to the steering wheel and made the car go forward, a tinge of pink coloring is cheeks. Kiku too felt his face warm.

"Ah… I apologize…" he said, turning to look out the window.

"Wha- no, no! D-don't apologize," Alfred stammered, glancing at Kiku briefly "You can kiss me whenever you want!" he continued, raising a hand to scratch his pink cheek. "I don't… I don't mind at all."

Kiku nodded quietly in response. A few moments more of silence and Alfred spoke up again. "So you, uh, like my eyes, huh?" he asked, chuckling slightly.

Kiku glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes. But they are not the only thing I like," he added as they pulled into a gated parking lot. "I like _you,_" he said, smiling a bit. "That is why I kissed you."

"Oh." Alfred blinked, then grinned. "Well I like all of you too; does that mean I can kiss you when I want to too~?"

Kiku blushed very lightly as Alfred parked the car. "Of- of course. But I would prefer you not do it in public; that would be inappropriate."

"Well… there's no one around right now… Can I…?"

Kiku gave an amused expression, his eyebrows creasing, but his lips turning up in a smile. "If you wish to, you ma-"

And immediately, Alfred leaned over, placing his lips on Kiku's. Kiku laughed softly into the kiss, but returned it nonetheless.

This was nice.

However, they were interrupted yet again, this time by Alfred's growling stomach. Alfred froze, then pulled away, giving Kiku an apologetic look. "S-sorry, I-"

"I am famished," Kiku told him, waving his hand in dismissal of the apology. "Surely you are as well," he continued, tactfully pretending nothing had happened. "Perhaps we should make dinner?"

"Uh, yeah! Sure!" Alfred replied, taking his cue from Kiku and removing the seat belt. "I'll feed you the best burger you'll ever taste!" Kiku nodded, getting his things. "You'll love 'em!"

_If they are made by you, of course I will_.

* * *

><p>Around ten, they had arrived at Kiku's apartment. Kiku had been correct in his theory that Alfred really wasn't subtly implying anything more than dinner and a ride home. As soon as they'd finished cleaning, Alfred had offered to take him home, as it was getting late.<p>

And now, here they were, outside of Kiku's door.

"Well, good night," Alfred said, smiling.

"_Oyasumi,_" Kiku replied, his own smile growing a little as Alfred's grinned widened with the Japanese. So easy to please.

Alfred leaned down and gave Kiku a peck on the cheek. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." With that, Alfred left, Kiku watching him as he walked down the steps to his car. He held back a laugh as Alfred waved cheerfully. Lifting a hand, he returned the wave, then went inside.

Removing his shoes, he continued smiling to himself. Yes, this was a confusing arrangement. But it made him happy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

-throws chapter at you-

-runs-

-hides-

-cowering behind a bush-


	15. Author's Note

**A/N:**

It's been nearly a year since I last updated this fic, and I'm sorry to say I don't think I'll be continuing this one. At least… not like this. I'd have to go back and rewrite it. My writing style has changed quite a bit, I think, my characterization has changed as well, and though the base of this story is fine, I'm not happy with it and I don't think I can finish it as it is.

Sorry to have left you all hanging for so long, but thank you for all the reviews and such! They really helped drive me forward and uh…

I don't know, I love this pairing, and this AU, a bit too much to just let it die. I think I'll end up rewriting it, nothing too major, but with some definite shifts. To be honest, I've changed quite a bit in the past year and yeah. My writing isn't the same.

So… Next time I post something for this, it may very well be a note explaining that it's been re-written. This needs heavy revision, to be honest.

Thank you so much for having stuck with me this far, though!


End file.
